Awakening
by BuffyL
Summary: NO LONGER A ONE SHOT! I was watching the Angel season 4 episode "Awakening" and I noticed that in his fantasy (spoiler alert) when he's losing his soul he says "Buffy!" Which tells me that it wasn't Cordelia he was really doing the nasty with in his mind. Here's how I imagine his fantasy actually went and what it led to.
1. Awakening

**A/N When I say SMG couldn't make an appearance, I imagine it's because the shows were on different networks and they weren't allowed to do a crossover.**

* * *

"The Mayor's office has scheduled a news conference for six'o'clock this evening regarding this bizarre development and what it may mean for the city." The news anchor on the TV said.

"I'll tell you what it means." Gunn said, tuning the TV off. "Soon as vamps everywhere realize this town's open for business 24/7, there's gonna be a huge rise in undead tourism."

"We've just got to find a way to bring back the sun." Cordelia said.

"Working on it." Fred said from behind her pile of books and scrolls. "Failing miserably, but working on it. I could really use some help deciphering some of these symbols…. or, all of them, really. I need Wesley…. his expertise…."

"Yeah, well Rogue Warrior took off without a word, right after Electro-Gwen decided to skip town when the going got tougher." Gunn said. "Not big on the teamwork, either one of them."

"You're wasting your time." Connor said. "The answer is among us." He tossed a hand towards the office window where they could see Angel singing for Lorne. "He knows. He's part of the plan."

"He doesn't remember." Cordelia said.

"So he says. You saw him yourself making a pact with the Beast."

"It wasn't Angel in my vision, it was Angelus."

"He is Angelus."

"Believe me, you've never met Angelus."

"Me neither. But I'm starting to think maybe it's time we did. Maybe Wes is right. Big Beastie has got to be stopped, and I'm fresh out of ideas. If there's even a chance Angelus could have inside info we could use…."

"And you think he's willingly going to turn it over?"

"I think it's worth a try."

"Not gonna happen. The gypsies cursed him with a soul so he could feel remorse to make him suffer for all the people he slaughtered. Removing that soul is the only way to change Angel back into Angelus."

"A lot easier said than done." Fred said.

"The gypsy curse was specific. For Angel to lose his soul, he would have to experience a moment of perfect, pure happiness. And right now, happiness of any kind is in kind of short supply."

As if on cue, a certain petite blonde Slayer walked into the lobby. Everyone turned to look at her with surprise. "Uh, hi." Buffy said. She looked like she'd been hit with a Mack truck. There was a healing cut on her cheek and a nasty bruise on her jaw. A darker bruise on her collarbone could be seen peeking out of her shirt under her jacket and her neck was multiple shades of black and blue like something had choked her.

"Buffy!" Cordelia walked towards her. "What are you doing here? Are you ok?"

"I saw the news about LA and I was a little worried that it might be connected to what's happening in Sunnydale."

"What's happening in Sunnydale now?"

"The First is back. It's targeting the Slayer line, taking out Watchers and potential Slayers where it can and generally causing death and destruction. I didn't think blotting out the sun in LA was a big stretch for it."

Cordelia ushered her into the lobby. "Come in. Sit down. You look exhausted."

"Oh, good. I look better than I feel."

"Buffy." Angel said, appearing in the doorway of his office and stopping Buffy in her tracks.

"Hi."

"Did Lorne help you remember?" Cordelia asked.

"No." Angel said, his eyes never leaving Buffy.

"Anything at all?"

"Nothing." He walked over to Buffy and gently touched the cut on her cheek. "Are you ok?"

"I'm healing."

"The First is back?"

"In a big way. It's gotten a little more ambitious since it tried to get you to off yourself a few years ago."

"It's gunning for you now?" He ran his fingers lightly over the bruising on her neck. "I thought it was incorporeal."

"It is. Its little buddy did this to me. A Turok-Han. Ever heard of it?"

"Yeah. Ancient vampire. Hard to kill."

"I've had three run-ins with it. All of them real doozies. One of them it dropped a couple of concrete walls on top of me. I wasn't sure if I'd manage to heal at first. My ribs are still pretty colorful from that one."

"Where is it now?"  
"Dust in the wind. I used barbed wire to cut its head off." She reached up and touched a fading bruise on Angel's cheek and he saw the faint punctures from the barbed wire on her palms. "Looks like you've got something bad here, too."

"It's called the Beast."

"How original."

Angel shrugged. "It packs a seriously original punch. It's the reason the sun is gone."

"Do you think it could be connected to the First?"

"It's possible. I wouldn't rule anything out at this point."

"Want some help? Please say yes cause this is a vacation for me." He chuckled. "Totally not a joke. My house is full of teenage girls. I'm going insane."

"I'm not turning you down." He turned around. "Everyone, this is Buffy. That's Gunn."

"Yo." Gunn said.

"And that's Fred behind the books over there."

"It's nice to finally meet you." Fred said with a wave.

"This is Lorne."

Lorne walked up and shook her hand. "Strumpet, you are just delectable. No wonder the big guy fell head over heels with you. I'm happy to finally meet you in person."

"And this…."

"Must be Connor." Buffy said.

"How did you know?" Connor asked.

"You look a ridiculous amount like your father."

"How did you know about him?" Angel asked.

"What?" Cordelia asked. "You think I don't talk to Buffy anymore?"

"Well, yeah."

"We've kept in touch." Buffy said. "So, down to business? What are we looking at?"

"A puzzle with missing pieces and some cryptic gibberish." Fred said. She gestured to a weird looking metal totem sitting on the desk. "Angel, whatever power this device had got swallowed up by the Beast. It won't bring back the sun. Without the orb, it's as useless as…."

"Us." Gunn said. "Face it man, we're losing ground. Pretty much the only victory we can claim is that we're not dead yet."

"Ok, look, I know things haven't been going our way lately, but things change." Angel said. "Buffy's here now and she's the best at averting apocalypses that I've ever met. We're not down for the count yet. But the Beast is not our only concern right now. The First is back and looking to make an apocalypse all its own. And until we figure out how to end eternal darkness, it's a devil's playground out there."

"Just the way you like it, huh?" Connor muttered.

"Something to say, Connor? You got a problem?"

"You."

"Hey, Connor." Cordelia warned.

"Acting like the big leader, like we don't already know what we know."

"And what do you know?" Angel asked.

"Everybody thought it was me. Maybe even I was starting to, but it was you all along. You're the one who's working with the Beast."

"I'm not."

"Well, then, you're a puppet. Either way, everything's going to hell because of you. You're the reason that the sun is gone, that I don't have a home to go back to. You're the reason that she…. It's you. You're the reason my life sucks."

"Get over it."

"Wow! You fit right in with the teenagers in my life." Buffy said.

"Uh, not to be a buttinsky, but could we get back to the pep talky thing?" Lorne said with a nervous laugh.

"I'm not one to turn down a little pep, but I'd much prefer we had a plan." Fred said.

"Here's one." Wesley said, walking in with a man clad in purple robes that covered everything but his eyes. "Him."

"Who's he?" Angel asked.

"Wo-Pang. He can deliver Angelus to us."

"I thought you said…." Gunn started.

"Me too." Cordelia said.

"Um, deliver who to where?" Buffy asked.

Wesley looked at Buffy in surprise. "Buffy."

"I'm sorry. We haven't met. Who are you and what have you done with the bumbling nerd who was once my Watcher?"

"Good to see you too. What are you doing here?"

"Got a big brewing apocalypse back home that might be connected to yours. Came to offer my services and tell you specifically to watch your back."

" _My_ back?"

"The First is taking out Watchers and potential Slayers. You may not be one anymore, but I don't think the First really gives a damn. And now that I've warned you, can we get back to the part where you want to release Angelus? Are you insane?"

"Fred, would you mind brewing some tea for our guest?" Wesley asked, ignoring Buffy's question.

"Oh, um, sure. Right this way, Mr. Pang." Fred said, leading the purple man away.

Angel grabbed Wesley's arm and hauled him into his office. Buffy turned to the others. "Can someone please explain to me why Wesley has lost his mind? Angelus?"

"I had a vision." Cordelia said. "Angelus knows the Beast. Wesley wants to bring him out to ask him…."  
"Ask him? Again with the Wesley is insane theory. You don't ask anything of Angelus. Ever. He'll laugh at you while he's playing with your insides on the outside."

"We're running out of options." Gunn said.

"I'm sorry, of the people in this room, who's ever dealt with Angelus one on one? Been the apple of his obsession's eye? He is _never_ an option."

"I've seen everything he's ever done." Cordelia said. "When I was a higher being. I saw it all. I know how bad Angelus is."

Buffy shook her head. "You don't know. Not really. You can watch it from afar, but you've never had him inside your head. You've never dealt with what it's like to actually be in a room with him."

"Which is why your timing is perfect." Gunn said. "If Angelus is here, you have firsthand experience of how to shut him down. You're the best chance we have of getting what we need out of him."

Buffy looked at Gunn with wide eyes. "Clearly this Beast has knocked all of your heads a little too hard."

The door opened and Angel strode out of the office. "Get rid of the shaman." He flung at Wesley.

Buffy followed Angel out to the little garden courtyard. He was sitting on a bench staring at the concrete in front of him. She sat down next to him. "Good thing I showed up. Your friends are a little batty, huh?"

"A house full of teenage girls is looking good right about now." Angel said.

"And clearly the crazy that's infected them has gotten to you if you think _that's_ a good time."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry you walked in on the Angelus talk."

"Yeah. Not gonna lie. That talk is scarier than dealing with the First." She blew out a breath. "Gunn said that I would be the best chance of getting Angelus to talk."

Angel looked over at her. "Of all the people here, you would be the only one he'd be interested in. I'm sure he'd be willing to make a deal with you."

"And it's scares me to know what I would offer him to get the information we need." Before Angel could say anything, she continued on. "What is it about me, Angel? Why did Angelus hate me so much?"

"You made him feel. You're the only person in the world in over 200 years that made him feel love and hope. He doesn't exactly deal well with those emotions."

"He loved Darla."

"No. He lusted after her, wanted to possess her like she possessed him…. She was his maker…. But he didn't love her. Never in the hundred plus years they were together did he love her. He never once felt love for anyone. He wasn't capable of it until you came along."

"But he didn't love me. You did."

"He's in me, Buffy. Everything I feel, he feels. You were the first person I ever loved in my entire life. He felt that. He remembered it."  
"And he hated me for it." She nodded. "So why can't you access his memories? I mean, you remember everything he's ever done. That was part of the gypsy curse, wasn't it? That you remember in detail everything he's done. If he knew this Beast thing…."  
"There's probably a spell preventing me from remembering. Do you think Connor's right? That I'm being used by the Beast without even knowing?"

Buffy opened her mouth to protest, but she couldn't lie to him. "Honestly, Angel, it's entirely possible. The First was using Spike without him realizing it. He killed people…. Turned them…. And he didn't remember any of it. If this Beast is connected to the First, then I hate to say it, but it's entirely possible."

"Then I'm already a danger to you…. To everyone."

"Angel, I'm pretty sure you've got nothing on how dangerous a loose Angelus would be. The guy is…. Well, I don't want to say ingenious, so we'll just go with evil."

"Like the Beast."

"I haven't met the thing, but if he's always a step or two ahead of you and hell bent on making your life miserable, then maybe the Beast comes close to Angelus?" She noticed Angel's suddenly resolute face. "No. Angel…."

Angel stood up and walked back into the lobby. "We're going to need a cage."

"Cage?" Lorne asked.

"Strong one. About 10 x 12, steel reinforced, 2-inch bars, maybe 3. I'll make some calls." He went into his office and shut the door.

"What…. do you think something like that's gonna hold the Beast?" Gunn asked.

"It's not for the Beast." Buffy said. "It's for Angelus."

"You talked him into it?" Cordelia asked.

"No! At least, I don't think I did. If I did, I didn't mean to!" She walked into the office after him. "Can we please talk about how this is _not_ a good idea?"  
"I know it's not, Buffy, but this is all we've got." He set the phone down in its cradle and walked over to her, grasping her upper arms reassuringly. "You're here. You'll protect them until my soul gets put back."

"And how long will that be?"

"I don't know. Not long. You get him to talk and then shove my soul back in my body. I have faith in you."

Buffy blew out a nervous breath and sat down heavily in a chair. "Come for a visit, stay for my worst enemy."

* * *

Wesley and Gunn were strapping Angel to a large table inside the cage they'd constructed in the basement. Buffy stood next to the shaman outside of the cage. They were behind a smaller table where the shaman had just placed a pretty glass jar.

"What is that?" Buffy asked.

"It's the Muo-Ping, the receptacle that will house his soul." Wo-Pang said.

"Buffy, you don't have to be here for this part." Angel said.

"Are you kidding me? If I can't face this, then what makes you think I'd be able to face Angelus?"

The shaman went inside the cage with Angel, shutting the door behind him. Connor moved closer to Buffy as she stepped over to the red line that had been drawn to keep Angelus at arm's length. Gunn and Wesley stood by the stairs looking on.

"It would be wise for your safety to add the second lock to the door." Wo-Pang said.

"Do as he says." Wesley ordered. Gunn stepped up and put another lock on the door.

"Angel…." Buffy said, her voice revealing to him how scared she actually was to face Angelus again.

He looked over at her, his hand straining against his bonds to reach out to her. "I know." Angel looked at Connor standing protectively near Buffy. He had a flash of jealousy, but it was gone faster than it had appeared. He was certain Buffy would never do what Cordelia had done to him. Connor was Angel's son and knowing Buffy, she would treat him as such. He felt a little lighter knowing that Connor would have the chance get to know the woman his father loved most in the world. If anyone could get through his son's hard exterior and soured opinion of Angel, it would be Buffy Summers.

"Close your eyes and don't speak." Mo-Pang said, placing his hand on Angel's head and forcing Angel's gaze away from Buffy. He began to chant over Angel and after a minute, his eyes opened to reveal that they were solid red. He leaned down and whispered in Angel's ear, "Time to say goodbye." Mo-Pang pulled sword from his side and swung it at Angel's head.

Buffy jumped into action, breaking one lock and yanking on the doors. Angel managed to break one of his wrist restraints and grabbed the shaman's wrist before the sword could decapitate him. The final lock on the door finally broke with one more good pull by Buffy and Connor together. She rushed in and grabbed Mo-Pang, throwing him into the bars.

"Fools, why would I help you?" Mo-Pang said. "I serve the awakened one."

"This was all a set-up!" Buffy said as she worked to get Angel free from his restraints.

"For what?" Gunn asked as he and Connor made sure the shaman didn't move.

"That's what I would like to know." Angel said, getting off the table with Buffy's help. "Why does the Beast suddenly want me dead? Did Angelus welsh on our pact? Is that it? Ok, well, maybe you can shed a little light as to what the Beast's plan is." The shaman pulled a knife out. "Maybe I should just start taking you apart now, piece…." The shaman turned the knife on himself and shoved it into his heart. "By piece."

Buffy looked down at the now deceased shaman and shook her head. "You know I really love it when the bad guys kill themselves for you. Except when they're doing it to keep from talking. Then it's just annoying. Like now." She poked the shaman with the toe of her boot.

"Gunn, see if he has anything on him." Wesley said.

Gunn knelt down beside the shaman and uncovered his face. The man's bald head, jaw, neck, and torso were covered in oriental characters. "He's got something on him, all right."

It wasn't long before the shaman's body was on the vacated table in the cage with his robe covering his backside. Wesley was bent over the body examining the tattoos with a magnifying glass. The rest of Angel's gang had made their way down to the basement after the hubbub from before.

"Is there any part of this guy that doesn't have writing all over it?" Lorne asked. Buffy shot him a look and he nodded. "Scratch that. I don't want to know."

"Can you translate it?" Angel asked.

"Most of it." Wesley said. "Definitely scripture. A recorded history of the Kun-Sun-Dai. They're acolytes of the Beast, all right."

"So that's why we couldn't find anything written about Beastie-boy in the books." Gunn said. "These jokers are walking around with it on their asses."

"Hang on."

"What is it?" Angel asked.

"There's a passage here. Difficult to…. Fred, could you…?" Wesley moved Fred's wrist so that she was holding the flashlight at a better location. "It's detailing the acolyte's victory over the Bosh M'ad sometime in…. I think in the third century."

"What's a Bosh…. whatever you said?" Cordelia asked.

"The opposers of the Awakening. The Bosh M'ad forged something to destroy the Beast. The Tooth of Light."

"They made a tooth?" Fred asked.

"To the best of my interpretation, a weapon of some kind."

"How'd it work out for them?" Buffy asked.

"It was never used. The awakening was centuries away. In the meantime, every last one of the Bosh M'ad was wiped out by the Beast's acolytes."

"So this tooth thing must've had them worried. What happened to it?" Fred asked.

"Never found. The opposers kept it hidden."

"Great, so now we have to find a tooth in a haystack." Gunn said.

"We don't even know what the weapon is." Angel said.

Cordelia's eyes turned white suddenly. "It's a sword. The Sword of Bosh M'ad. I can see it. Pretty." She gasped as her eyes went back to normal. "I know where it is."

"Where?" Buffy and Angel asked. They exchanged an amused look.

"It's here. Under the city."

"Well, that's a break." Fred said.

"Did you hear that?" Angel asked Wesley. "There's a sword. A sword to kill the Beast. And you wanted to turn me into Angelus by having an evil shaman cut off my head, not that that wasn't a swell plan, too."

"Sorry." Wesley said as he walked toward the exit.

"Was that an apology?"

"I was careless. Made a mistake that almost cost you your life. It would have made pulling you out of the ocean a big waste of my time."

"Yeah, that would've been a drag. It's just the first time I ever heard you apologize. About anything."

"So, are we gonna go get the sword, or what?" Connor asked.

* * *

Cordelia led the way through the tunnels below LA with Wesley beside her. Angel and Buffy were right behind them with Connor bringing up the rear. Connor kept looking Buffy over and finally reached up to tap her on the shoulder. She turned to look at him, hanging back so she could walk beside him. Angel glanced back and she didn't miss the smile on his lips at the sight of her with his son.

"How did you do that back there?" Connor asked her.

"Do what?" Buffy asked.

"Throw that man the way you did. You're so…. Little."

Buffy heard Angel chuckle and she reached up to flick his shoulder blade. He actually winced. "I'm a Slayer." She said to Connor.

"What's that?"

"Angel, you didn't tell him about Slayers?"

"They haven't really come up before." Angel said.

"Well, the lore says 'one girl in all the world created to stop the vampires and the demons and the forces of darkness.'"

"Why only one?" Connor asked.

"That's a question I've been asking for a long time."

"Sounds kinda stupid to only have one person protecting the whole world."

"Angel, your kid's pretty smart." She looked back at Connor. "Thankfully the world has people like your dad that want to do good. People like our friends that step up and do what has to be done."

Connor nodded. "He did tell me about you, though. Cordelia has too. Are you the girlfriend that sent him to hell once?"

"Yeah, that was me."

"Why did you do it?"

"We had a fight and that's how I ended it." Connor's eyes widened and she laughed. "I'm kidding. Well, sort of. Angelus opened a portal to hell with his blood. I was fighting him when Angel got his soul back. To close the portal and save the world, I had to shove a sword through Angel's heart and send him to hell in Angelus' place."

"Why?"

"Cause only his blood could close the portal. I didn't want to. Angel didn't deserve that."

"You loved him."

Buffy glanced at Angel. He was desperately trying not to look back at her. "Still do." She said. "That's never going away."

"If you love him, then you should be with him."

"If only it were that simple." The silence was suddenly too much, so Buffy changed the subject. "How is a sword from the third century conveniently located right here in not-so-sunny Los Angeles?"

"I don't think it is." Cordy said. "I mean, I get the impression that somehow it's accessible from like 100 points all over the world."

"How's that work?" Connor asked.

"I don't know. I just get the visions, not the Cliff's Notes."

"Over there." Wesley pointed to an opening in a wall. "What's that?"

Cordelia walked over with her lantern and stepped inside to investigate. "A way down."

"It's a steep grade down there." Angel said, inspecting the tunnel. "Gonna have to take it a little slow. Watch our steps and stay…." Connor, ever the impulsive teenager, pushed between Angel and Buffy and went inside. "Together."

Cordelia followed after him with Wesley right behind her. Buffy looked at Angel and he shrugged. They went in together with him keeping a hand hovering near her elbow. They made it down the tunnel and Connor appeared suddenly, scaring Cordelia.

"Found something." He announced. Up ahead there were leather strings hanging from the ceiling with little bells attached to them. There were hundreds of strings through the tunnel in front of them.

"Easy. Easy." Angel said.

"What are those?" Cordy asked.

"My guess is holiday decorations left over from some S&M bondage party." Buffy said. Angel jingled one of the bells, triggering a dozen wooden stakes to spring out from the walls. "An extreme S&M party."

"Wood. Why'd it have to be wood?" Angel said.

"We have to pass through the corridor without ringing any of the bells." Wesley said.

Cordelia looked down at her breasts. "Oh, I knew you two would get me in trouble someday."

Buffy glanced down at her smaller ones and shrugged. "Well…." She looked at Cordy. "At least I'm not wearing a push-up bra today." The two women chuckled.

They moved into the corridor, turning delicately through the leather strings. Half way in, Wesley stopped Cordelia from moving. "Cordelia, freeze. Your sleeve." He pulled a bell off that had caught on her shirt, straightening the ribbon so that the bell didn't ring. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, Connor made it through first, then Cordelia and Buffy. Wesley was almost through when he tapped a bell with his lantern.

"Move!" Angel's pushed Wesley and himself to safety before the stakes sprung out.

Buffy caught them and made sure they were upright. They watched the stakes move slowly back into the wall. Angel took her hand a squeezed it gratefully as Cordelia said, "Oh, no!"

Angel looked over and realized what she was seeing. "Dead end."

"Who the hell booby-traps a dead end?" Buffy asked. "That's not ok."

"There's something here." Wesley said, inspecting the wall with his lantern.

Angel moved up to look at the symbols on the wall. "Assyrian?"

"Hebrew. Rashi script."

"Can you read it?" Connor asked.

"Just random letters, one on each stone. Unless…." Wesley pressed a stone and the wall lifted about a foot off the ground.

"This is it!" Cordy cried. "You did…." The wall lowered back down. "You didn't."

"There's a pattern. Hebrew letters have numerical values. Aleph is one. The letter with the next highest numerical value would be…. He. 5." Wesley pressed another stone, but his hand was suddenly pierced by a spike.

"What happened? What happened?" Angel asked.

"He was wrong." Connor said.

"I don't know. I don't know what else…." Wesley said as Cordelia bandaged his hand with a strip she'd torn off her shirt.

"9 stones." Angel said, inspecting the wall again.

"Yes, that's it! It's not their numerical value. These are the first letters of the nine antediluvian patriarchs in Genesis."

"That would've been my next guess." Buffy offered.

"So which one do we press?" Angel asked.

"Aleph was Adam, so in ascending order…. Shin for Seth. That one." Wesley pointed and Angel pressed the stone. The wall lifted again, two feet off the ground this time. And again, it lowered before they could get past it.

"Now what?"

"Kaf for Cainan."

"Which one's Kaf?"

"Maybe that one."

"Maybe? I don't have enough shirt to bandage both of you." Cordy said.

Angel pressed the stone and the wall lifted higher this time. He ran underneath to hold it up and Buffy did the same. "Come on!" Connor, Wesley, and Cordelia ducked under quickly. "Buffy, go."

"On three?" Buffy asked.

"Three." Angel said and he and Buffy dove under, executing perfectly synchronized tumbles.

When they popped back up, they were facing a fork in the tunnel. "Which way now?" Buffy asked.

"Don't look at me." Cordy said. "I'm not a Thomas Guide."

"It was your vision."

"You're the one that's good with mystical weapons. Can't you sniff it out?"

"We should split up." Wesley suggested.

"Right. Connor and Cordy, go with Wes." Angel said. "Buffy and I will take the one on the left."

"Be careful." Cordy said as they split up.

Buffy looked over at Angel. "So, Connor…. I'm guessing that's not normal teenage angst."

"Uh, no."

"Can I ask what it's about?"

Angel took a deep breath. "Cordelia and I…." Buffy stopped and turned around to look at him. "I thought about it, but we never got the chance to get anything started. She and Connor, though…."

"I don't know which of those revelations is more disturbing to me."

"Buffy…."

"I get it. I haven't been here. You've moved on." She turned to start walking again.

"I haven't…."

She suddenly stopped and turned back. "Cordelia?!"

"She's different. Not the same Cordy you knew in high school."

"I don't care! That's breaking girl code! That's breaking first love code and ultimate, soul mate love code! I can't deal with this right now. Let's just find the sword and talk about it later." Buffy noticed a light coming from up ahead and moved towards it. She walked into a large room with stone pillars and a large stone pedestal in the middle of the room. "This has got to be the place, right? Where's the sword? Is it gone?"

"Maybe…." Angel looked at the pedestal. "The light must be coming from somewhere." He reached his hand out over the stone pedestal and it disappeared into a rippling light. The rippling light turned into a spear as Angel reached further inside it. "It's some kind of dimensional hub. That's why the sword can be in a hundred places…. At once." He pulled out a large, shiny sword. "I'd say things are starting to look…." The sphere changed from faint white light to an intense red. The light sphere began to shake violently and sink down into the stone pedestal.

"Bad! They're starting to look bad. Time to go!" Buffy said. The pillars began falling over as the room shook.

Fires sprung up around them and Angel realized Buffy was on the opposite side of the room from the doorway. "Buffy!" He beckoned to her, not daring to leave the room until she was with him.

Buffy moved towards him, but a flaming pillar dropped in her way. She fell back, tripping over some debris and hitting the ground hard. The air was knocked out of her lungs and she gasped for breath, coughing and sputtering.

"Hang on!" Angel leapt over the flames and lifted her up into his arms. Holding her tightly to him with one arm, he jumped back over the pillar and the fire and rushed out of the room. He dropped to the ground with her and held her tightly against him, dropping the sword on the ground next to them. "Are you ok?"

Buffy coughed and worked to get her breathing back on track as he inspected her for wounds of any kind. "I'll live. My ribs might be slightly pulverized, but I'll live."

Angel lifted her shirt up enough to look closely at her bruised ribs. He gasped at the extent of her wounds from the fights with the Turok-Han. The bruising wasn't just on her ribs, it went around to her back as well as up to her chest. He could only imagine what her legs looked like. "Buffy…."

She stilled his roaming hands. "It looks worse than it feels."

"You should've called me. You shouldn't have had to face that thing alone."

"Angel…."

"Look what it did to you!"

"I'm all right. Really. I'm healing pretty fast."

"This doesn't look like fast."

"Well, the last fight with the Ubervamp was barely 24 hours ago, so trust me. This is fast."

"Buffy, I…."

Cordelia cleared her throat behind them and they realized how they must look. They were kneeling close together with Angel's hands up her shirt on her bare flesh. Her hair wasn't exactly smooth and his clothing was a little disheveled from the collapsed room they had just escaped.

"We were just…." Angel started.

"He saved me." Buffy said at the same time.

They dropped their arms and got to their feet. "Got the sword." Angel said lamely.

* * *

Lorne, Gunn, and Fred were waiting in the lobby of the hotel when Buffy, Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley walked through the doors. Connor had gone off to patrol the area. He and Angel had gotten into a little spat on the way back to the hotel and Buffy had advised him to go cool off by killing some vampires and/or demons. She had told him that usually worked to calm her down when she was his age.

"Oh my God!" Fred cried.

"I thought you guys might be dead." Gunn said.

"Don't stop thinking it yet." Angel said at the same time Buffy said, "Ye of little faith."

"Is that it?" Lorne asked, gesturing at the sword in Angel's hand.

"The sword of the Bosh M'ad." Cordelia confirmed.

"The slayer of Beast." Wesley said.

"Oh, can I play with it?" Gunn took the sword from Angel and started swinging it around.

"Where's Connor?" Fred asked.

"He went patrolling." Buffy said. "He needed to blow off some steam."

"We have the sword. Now all we need…." Wesley was interrupted by Gunn breaking a table in half with the sword.

"My bad." Gunn said.

Buffy walked over and plucked the sword out of his hands. "Let's not kill anymore furniture in here, ok?"

"All we need to do is locate the Beast." Wesley finished.

"Well, most of my connections have am-scrayed to dimensions a little lighter on the stomping-your-entrails-out." Lorne said. "All I could Kolchak was a rumor of bad mojo rising down in the warehouse district."

"Then that's where we'll start." Angel said.

"Wait." Fred said before Buffy and Angel could head out. "We found some relevant passages in the Paranych Grimoire which we were able to cross-reference with Wo-Pang's, um…. butt."

"Either he's got one hell of a funky mole, or we figure there's only one way to kill the Beast." Gunn said.

"How?" Wesley asked.

"Piercing it's brain with the Bosh M'ad." Fred said.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Angel said.

"What about the sun?" Cordelia asked.

"One good poke in the coconut should take care of that too." Gunn said.

"When the Beast is dead, the energies used to block the sun should be released." Fred added.

"Two things," Buffy said. "One: Are we sure the Beast's brain is in his coconut? And two: What's the catch?"

"Always with the fine print." Cordelia said.

Buffy shrugged. "You know how it is with these seems-simple-enough solutions. There's always a catch."

"An insy one." Fred confirmed.

"It took a whole lot of power to pull off permanent midnight." Gunn said.

"Which will all be released when I kill the Beast." Angel said, leaning against one of the columns in the lobby.

"Or me." Buffy said. "Can't let you have all the fun."

"As far as we can figure from the test, nothing human will survive at that close a range." Fred said. "I'm not even sure that either of you can."

"We'll let you know." Buffy hefted the sword and headed for the doors with Angel.

"Guys, wait!" Cordelia said. "You're not going to fight this thing by yourselves."

"There's no choice." Angel said.

"There's always a choice."

"Not for us. We have to do this. We're the only ones here that are more than human." He sighed. "You made a difference. Each of you. Not just to me, but to the world. We've been pushed to the edge so many times, done things we're sure can never be forgiven, but we're always there for each other when it counts. We've never let the darkness win. And it's not because of the Powers That Be, or the super-strength, or the magical weapons. It's because we believed in each other. Not just as friends or lovers, but as champions. All of us. Together."

Buffy chuckled. "It's really nice to get a break from being the main speech giver. Good job. Let's go find the Beast." Suddenly the Beast burst through the front doors sending shattered glass through the lobby.

"There it is." Angel said.

"That thing looks fun. Let's go kill it."

"I grow weary of your cowardice, Angelus!" The Beast bellowed. "If you will not stand with me, then suffer the agony of my wrath." Its gaze landed on the sword in Buffy's hand. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Go!" Angel yelled as Buffy ran at the Beast. The others headed for the weapons cabinet. "No! Get out of here!"

"No!" Cordelia yelled.

"All of you. We can't do this with you all here." Gunn and Wesley grabbed Cordelia and followed Lorne out of the hotel.

Angel went to join Buffy in her fight against the Beast. She was fairing pretty well, ducking major blows and landing some nice ones of her own. They started tossing the sword back and forth to each other as they tag-teamed the Beast. Angel managed to slice into the thing's arm and it looked down at the cut.

"That stings." It said.

"Not as much as it's gonna." Angel replied.

"We could rule this world. Why do you oppose me?"

"Rain of fire, blocking out the sun, and you just kinda piss me off."

"It doesn't have to be this way, Angelus."

"I'm thinking it does." Angel swung the sword down, but the Beast grabbed the blade in the palm of his hand and broke it in half. It punched Angel in the face, sending him flying across the room. Buffy attacked, but it grabbed her by the throat, squeezing her air off as it lifted her off the ground.

"Did you really think you'd win?"

Connor suddenly appeared and hit the Beast in the arm with a battle-axe. It dropped Buffy and turned to face him. "The boy joins the father and his Slayer whore in death."

"No, in kicking your stony ass." Connor said. "And she's not a whore!" He attacked the Beast, causing it to drop Buffy to the ground.

Angel crawled over to Buffy as she struggled to breathe. She was holding her battered ribs as he made it over to her. Before he could help her to her feet, she reached over and grabbed the sword's broken blade, pushing it towards him. Across the room, the Beast knocked Connor to the ground and then kicked him across the lobby.

"Such arrogance. So much like Angelus." The Beast said to Connor.

"His name is Angel." Connor looked at Angel sneaking up on the Beast with a smile.

It turned around and Angel shoved the blade up through the Beast's head. "Consider your ass kicked." The Beast glowed red and the black magic blocking the sun blew outward. Connor covered Buffy and Angel ducked behind the settee. The Beast turned to dust as the sky outside brightened into daylight.

"Are you ok?" Connor asked, helping Buffy to her feet.

"Yeah." She croaked. "I'm getting tired of bad guys going for my throat though."

Angel walked over and desperately began to inspect her bruises for permanent damage. "Dad, she's ok." Connor said, trying to calm Angel down. "She's pretty tough."

"Thank you for protecting her." Angel said.

Connor shrugged. "I like her. She seems pretty cool."

"She is."

"Cooler than you." Connor smiled at his dad. "I couldn't let her get killed."  
"You've got timing like your old man." Buffy said. "You made it just in time."

"Like I'd let you guys take all the credit for saving the world?"

Buffy smiled at him. "Is this you looking to continue the family business of butt kicking champion stuff?"

"Maybe. You guys make it look fun."

"It's not always, but mostly."

Connor smiled at Buffy. "You should stick around. Dad's been different since you've been here. You guys work really well together. It's pretty clear that you're still in love."

Buffy and Angel looked at each other, but before they could say anything, Cordelia, Lorne, Wesley, Fred, and Gunn walked back in. "Connor?" Cordelia rushed over to him. "Oh, my God! You did it."

Angel wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist. "We did it. All of us." Wesley and Gunn exchanged an enthusiastic high five. "Now, could one of you do me a favor and, uh, sweep that up?" He pointed to the pile of dust that was all that was left of the Beast.

* * *

Buffy walked into Angel's room to find him staring out the window at the daylight beyond. He turned to look at her as she approached him. Cordelia had given her a wrap dress and a pair of strappy wedges to wear since her clothes had been trashed. Her hair was drying into loose waves down her back from her shower. She was even more beautiful to him than the sunshine outside his window.

"I'm guessing that I've lost too much weight since Cordy and I used to be about the same size." Buffy said, looking away from his intense gaze.

"You have gotten a little thin." Angel said, moving closer to her.

"I'm sorry you can't really enjoy the fruits of our labor." She gestured at the window. "I know it's hard for you seeing everyone so happy after we brought the sun back… Not being able to go out into it and enjoy it too."

Angel reached out and took her hands. "There's no place I'd rather be than here with you." He pulled her towards him and leaned down to kiss her.

"Angel…." Buffy said after a moment. "About Cordelia…."

"It was nothing. We never got started."

"But there were feelings. Feelings were had between you two."

"I missed you, Buffy. When you died, I was lost without you. I was constantly reminded of things I'd done that broke my heart and destroyed me inside and out just to protect you…. To make sure you were alive even if I couldn't be with you. But they weren't enough because you still died. And it was horrible for me. And Cordelia was there. She looked out for me, talked me down from ledges that I never would've gone to normally. She was just…. There. You know?" He shook his head. "What it all boils down to is that…. You're it for me." Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her for a fiery kiss. He started to pull away from her intensity, scared of where it would lead. "Buffy…."

"No. Whatever you're planning to say…. Whatever reasoning or excuse or logic you're about to use…. Throw it away. We're here now, Angel. We're together. Don't we deserve to celebrate just this once? I think we've earned it."

He sighed as he brought her lips back to his. She was right. She was here, now, and he needed her. She needed him. They might not ever get this chance again. He felt her fingers begin to unbutton his shirt between them before sliding her hands up his chest and pushing it off his shoulders. He shrugged out of it before pulling her closer to him.

His lips moved down her neck, gently nipping at the scar he'd left. Her hands felt like fire everywhere they touched and he needed to feel more. He reached for the tie on her dress and slipped it off of her. He took a long moment to appreciate her beautiful breasts and soft skin. The bruises caused him to pause in his appreciation, but she pulled him to her and began kissing him again. The feeling of her naked flesh pressed against his bare chest was almost too much. They tumbled to the bed, Angel on top, as they continued to kiss fervently.

Her hands grappled with the button on his pants as his lips moved down her chest to her breasts. She finally got it undone and pushed the zipper down as he took one of her nipples in his mouth. He groaned as she continued to push his pants as far as she could and got up long enough to slide his pants and boxer briefs off before pressing himself on top of her again. She wriggled underneath him and he realized there was still a barrier between them.

Moving his lips down her stomach, taking care to kiss each bruise he came across, he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her underwear and slid them down. She lifted her hips and he nipped at her hip bone as he tossed the underwear aside. Her voice was a breathy moan as she begged him not to wait any longer.

He decided to oblige her, moving back up her body and pushing himself inside of her. Her legs wrapped around his hips and she urged him to move faster and go deeper. She felt like heaven to him as he moved in and out of her. Suddenly she flipped them and was on top, moving at a faster pace than he had been. He watched her, enjoying the view of her bobbing back and forth. The one time they'd been together before, she had been a shy, seventeen year old virgin. He'd shown her what to do and she'd trusted him completely. Now she was a confident 22 year old taking control and it was absolutely amazing.

He sat up and sucked the skin of her breasts into his mouth as she continued to move, arching her back. Her hair tickled his legs and he flipped them over once more. He kept up her faster pace, feeling them both move closer to the edge. She matched his rhythm with her hips and looked up at him. As they reached their peaks together, eyes locked, he felt the ripping sensation take over his body.

"Buffy!" He fell off the bed, horrified at what was coming. "No! Oh, God! No!"

* * *

'The vision becomes reality. It is done."  
Angelus opened his eyes to discover he was lying on the table in the cage. He turned his head to see if Buffy was really there, but it was all a fantasy concocted by Angel's mind. The stupid shaman had made Angel's fantasy seem real enough that Angelus was disappointed to see his Slayer wasn't among Angel's little gang.

When he got out of this cage, he was making a stop in Sunnydale.

"Angelus." Cordelia said.

He started to laugh as he realized how much fun this was going to be tormenting the little group.


	2. Soulless

**_A/N You asked for it. Here it is. A continuation of Awakening putting Buffy into Angel Season 4 instead of Faith. Enjoy!_**

Buffy shot awake and looked around her. She wasn't in Angel's bed and he wasn't turning into Angelus. What the hell had just happened? What kind of dream was that? The First had definitely made Angel and Buffy share dreams before, but that…. That couldn't have been just a shared dream. It had been a whole day together. She'd felt every bit of it like it had just happened to her.

* * *

Angelus stood in the dark basement and stared at his cage. He could hear the heroes upstairs talking about keeping Angel's soul safe and how awful Angelus is. The ex-Watcher was laying down his game plan to get him to talk about the Beast. Angelus, however, wasn't going to divulge anything to that sniveling pipsqueak.  
Angel's little fantasy had driven home Angelus' desire for the little blonde Slayer. His games before hadn't worked on her. She'd only gotten stronger and more resilient. She would probably be even more fun to play with now after everything she'd been through since he had last been out and about. He'd have to come up with some new games for her this time that ended with her playing on his team.

Finally Wesley walked downstairs into the basement holding himself as tall as he could and trying to make himself look…. Menacing maybe? He just looked like he had licked a lemon. He came to a stop a few feet away from the cage.

"Angelus."

"Wes. Why the long face? Aren't you happy to see me?" Angelus asked.

"Should I be?"

"Well, if it wasn't for you and your shaman friend, I wouldn't be here. I'm feeling the love."

"The choice was Angel's."

"Angel, schmangel. You're the man with the brain."

"You're comfortable?"

"Nice acoustics. Wouldn't hate a chair."

"You'll have to forgive the accommodations. The last time you were free, you terrorized Sunnydale."  
"That slayer…. She's a pistol."

"I've imagined this moment many times. Years of study, research…. I've read everything ever written about you."

"Stop, I'm blushing."

"To be one-on-one with the legendary Angelus." Wesley sat down in a chair a few feet away from the cage. "As a former watcher, it's a high point."

"Buttering me up. Getting me all relaxed, hmm? Not the most innovative interrogation technique. Certainly won't get me to play along."

"Is it a game?"

"It's always a game. But if you want to continue playing…. Move your pawns forward…. then you need to offer me something sweet to get me to roll the dice."

"Did you know the Beast?" Angelus didn't answer. "If you knew the Beast, why wouldn't Angel remember?"

"What part of 'I'm not playing this game yet' did you miss?"

"What is it you're after?"

"Why should I make it easy for you?"

"I don't expect you will."

"Here's a question for you: what's the deal with Angel and _The Raiders of the Lost Ark_?"

"The movie?"

"The 'perfect day' fantasy he came up with. Caves, booby traps, the requisite phallic sword."

"He fought the Beast in the fantasy?"

"Real candy-ass."

"The Beast?"

"Angel. Not enough to be the hero. Couldn't be happy unless the whole gang's pitching in with his lady at his side."

"Cordelia?" Angelus snorted. "Buffy?" He gave Wesley a smirk. "Angel saw Buffy in his fantasy?"

"Who else would be enough to make him trigger the gypsy curse?"

"I imagine his fondness of Cordelia…."

Angelus laughed again. "She wishes."

"So, he killed the Beast in this fantasy with Buffy."

"Had to. To get what he wanted. We all want something, Wes. It's the way of the world. Everybody's got an agenda."

"And you want to tell me mine."

"You want to come down here, get your vital stats on lava boy, play the big hero…."

"I want to know how to kill the Beast. It has nothing to do with being a hero."

"Sure it does, but why now? Can't be because there's an apocalypse coming. Always one of those around the corner."

"Enlighten me."

"'Foul rag-and-bone shop of the heart.' That's where you live."

"Meaning?"

"You want to impress the girl. Move in, get her to love you, and after a couple days of flowers and chocolate covered cherries," Angelus banged his hands on the bars to startle Wesley. "You'll bend her over the kitchen counter…."

"That supposed to rattle me?"

"Kinda bony for my taste, but different strokes…."

"The Beast called you an adversary."

"Bet he loves to rub that shiny bald head against her soft, milky skin. Mmmm…. Good…. Come on, Wes. Not like your schoolgirl crush is a secret."

"You've found a vulnerability, exploited it. Well done. Can we move on now?"

"Happy to."

"You were adversaries…. You and the Beast."

"Guy like me…. friends, enemies…. hard to keep track."

"If he was an enemy, I'd be doing you a favor in destroying him."

"You know, you're not fooling anyone. Get some new clothes, cool haircut, hit the gym…. You're still the same loser none of the other kids wanted to sit with at lunch."

"Yet you're locked in that cage and I'm out here."

"So? You've got no leverage. What are you going to do? Kill me?"

"If I have to."

"Wait 'til they drop, Wes, then try that line again."

"I'll put your soul back. You won't talk, no problem. We'll bring Angel back and be no worse off than we were."

"Making you a failure again."

"You want to waste my time, you can rot down here."

"Nice stamina, Wes. No wonder Fred's not interested."

"Whatever your connection to the Beast, clearly you don't know anything that can help us."

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to get defensive, start talking to prove you wrong? What else you got?"

"You must hate it that Angel fights evil."  
"Eats you up inside, doesn't it. Seeing all those idiots flock around him, calling him a champion. Anyone ever call you a champion?"  
"I do my part."  
"Right. Like letting Lilah suck Lorne's brain. Or, here's an oldie but a goodie: Faith. Good job being her Watcher. She turned out to be a peach."

"And you managed to get your soul back, not once, but twice, saving the world several times in the process. Nobody's perfect."

"Then there's kidnapping the fruit of my loins. Smooth."

"He survived."

"I guess you just can't understand that special bond between dad and son, given that your own father's ashamed of you."

"And Connor's ashamed of you. The universe's way of maintaining order, I guess."

"Twerp really gives me the creeps. You?"

"In Cordelia's vision, you and the Beast were standing on a field."

"Oh, God, yeah. Let's talk about Cordy, shall we? Now, there's a rack to write home about. Too bad about the personality, though. 'Yap, yap, yap, yap, yap! Oh, God. Oh, Angel. Angel, we can't. I love you, but you were so bad. You ate babies.' Chicks. Which do you think is worse, Wes? Stealing my kid like you did, or banging him, like Cordelia? All that bumping and grinding. Fire raining in the sky. Quite a picture. Well, more of a snapshot, cause Connor…." Angelus chuckled. "At least you thought you were doing the right thing. And speaking of, let's loop back around to what you're going to offer me in exchange for what I know."

"Why would we give you anything?"

"Why wouldn't you? I have something you need and we both know that you and your little club of wannabe heroes aren't going to be the ones I tell it to."

"Who will you tell it to?"

"There's a good question! Finally! I knew there was a brain hidden in there somewhere." Angelus smirked. "You know exactly who I want standing in your place. She's petite, blonde, stronger than human, hell of a lay…."

"Buffy?"

"The one and only."

"And why would she want to see you? You spent the better part of six months trying to kill her."

"Not kill. Not yet, anyway. Drive insane first. I'll be the first to admit that that plan didn't work out so well in my favor."

"She shoved a sword in your heart and sent you to hell for 100 years."

"Not mine. I was shoved back in my box when the little witch did her spell. She sent her beloved Angel to hell, not me."

"She won't come. She has plenty on her plate at the moment and doesn't need you added to it."

"I'm sure you'll figure out something." Angelus stretched his limbs out. "Hey, who's a guy gotta kill to get a drink around here?"

Wesley sighed and walked up the stairs, shutting the basement door behind him. "He wants blood."

"I'll get it." Fred offered.

"Me too." Gunn followed her out of the lobby.

"Why would he want Buffy?" Cordelia asked. "He hates her."

"He's refusing to talk to anyone but her." Wesley said.

"The things he put her through…."

"I know."

"You don't know. You weren't there. She's not going to come just to get that psycho to talk."

"She might." Lorne said.

"I'm going to call her." Wesley said. He walked into the office and shut the door. Going through Angel's personal phonebook, he found Buffy's home number and dialed it first.

* * *

Buffy stood in her surprisingly empty kitchen and stared into her cup of coffee. She hadn't told anyone about her dream or vision or whatever the hell it had been. Deep down, in the pit of her stomach, she knew she'd just released Angelus somehow. For the last twenty minutes she'd been debating on calling the Hyperion just to see if it was true. When she finally got up the nerve to pick up the phone, it began ringing.

"The Summers' house of annoying teenage girls and company." She answered. "This is the ring leader. How can I help you?"

"Buffy?" She didn't recognize the voice at first.

"Yes, this is her."

"It's Wesley."

"Wesley?" Buffy's eyes widened as she stared straight ahead. "Angel is he…."

"Gone."

The world did that crazy floor-dropping-out-from-under-you thing it did when bad news came calling. "Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"He's Angelus once again."

Buffy's breath caught and her hands started shaking. "How?"

"We had a shaman extract his soul."

"Oh my god." She dropped the phone. It had all been real!

"Buffy?" She could hear Wesley calling from the dropped phone. Buffy put her face in her hands. She was pretty sure she was going to be sick. The line went dead and the incessant beeping noise began after a few minutes.

Willow walked into the room and stopped dead at the scene. "What's wrong?"

* * *

Buffy followed the directions to the Hyperion as best she could. She had to stop a few times to save some people from demons or vampires taking advantage of the permanent midnight situation. She would've had to have asked Wesley what was going on, but if the dream vision thing was real, then it had already been explained to her. The Beast was the reason behind this.

The Hyperion finally loomed ahead. She parked next to Angel's black convertible in the parking lot, grabbed her bag from the trunk, and walked into the courtyard entrance. When she opened the doors, Wesley and Gunn were in each other's faces while Lorne and Fred stood off to the side trying to get them to stop.

"Hey, hey, come on, guys!" Lorne cried. "Let's not say anything that…."

"Shut up, Lorne!" Gunn snapped. "Great idea, Wes, stealing Angel's kid. Oh, was losing him a part of your plan, too?"

"Go ahead." Wesley said. "Throw some more blame around. It's what you're best at."

"You want to say that again?"

"Face it, Gunn, you can't give her what she needs."

Gunn punched Wesley in the face. To his credit, Wesley didn't fall to the ground like Buffy expected. He attacked Gunn right back. Buffy sighed and calmly walked over to the two combatants and sent them flying across the room. The place got deadly silent when every realized what had happened.

"Buffy?" Wesley asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"I'm guessing this is Angelus' handiwork?" Buffy said, walking over and helping Wesley to his feet. Gunn got to his feet and moved towards them, but she turned her glare on him. "If you start that fight up again, I'm putting you both in the hospital."

"I would do as she says." Wesley said.

"Angel's Buffy?" Fred asked, walking up to the blonde Slayer.

Buffy smiled slightly at the name. "Yeah."

"What are you doing here?" Gunn asked.

"I've been asking myself that." She turned to Wesley. "I need to talk to you before I see him." Buffy didn't wait for an answer. She headed into the office with Wesley not far behind her.

* * *

Connor walked up to the cage where Angelus was sitting on the floor in a dark corner. He'd slipped in while the others were in the middle of their fight. "Everyone's afraid of you."

"Is that my shirt?" Angelus asked, looking at his offspring.

"Not anymore."

"Looks good on you, son."

"So did Cordy."

"She looks good on everybody."

"Angel warned me about you. Said I should remember you're not my real father."

"Yeah, that was a nice speech. Touching. I think it ended with you promising to kill me."

"I remember."

Angelus stood up and stalked toward the teenager. "Kind of unnecessary, don't you think? I mean, with your track-record, I'll be staking myself by the end of the day."  
"It's fine by me."

"Darla felt the same way. It made her sick, you squirming inside her. So, she jammed a stake in her own heart, just so she wouldn't have to hear your first whiny breath."

"You don't know anything."

"Then there was Holtz. It disappointed him so much that he stabbed himself in the neck."

"My fa…. Holtz was a good man. All he ever wanted was for you to get the punishment you deserve. And you will."

"And now my boy's in love. All hearts and flowers. But doesn't it freak you out that she used to change your diapers? I mean, when you think about it, the first woman you boned is the closest thing you've ever had to a mother. Doing your mom and trying to kill your dad. Hmm…. There should be a play."

"You think I care what you say? Angel told me how you'd try to hurt me, how you aren't my real dad, just some animal in a cage. Angel's my dad."

"I'm gonna cry."

"That's what he told me. And he thought I believed him. The truth is, Angel's just something that you're forced to wear. You're my real father."

"I'm right here. All you have to do is come and get me."

"You'd like that."

"You couldn't take me anyway."

"We'll see."

"Promises, promises. Don't make 'em, if you can't keep 'em."

"I wouldn't think of it."

"It might be your best chance. Don't disappoint daddy."

Cordelia chose that moment to come down the stairs. "Connor. Go upstairs."  
"No." Connor said, his eyes not leaving Angelus.

"Please, go upstairs."

"It's your lucky day."

"Yeah. Go to your room, mama's boy." Connor walked upstairs and Angelus turned to Cordelia. "Cordy. Cordy. Cordy. Just couldn't stay away."

"It's been a long day, and I think you've done enough damage."

"So, no hug?"

"You and I are gonna make a deal."  
"Tough. Did you practice that in front of the mirror a few times? Lemme guess. You want to know about the Beast."  
"Everything you know."

Angelus was about to respond, but a he picked up familiar voice with heightened hearing. His Slayer was here. She'd apparently just sent Wesley and Gunn flying across the lobby from the sounds of the thuds and sudden quiet. Finally he turned his attention to Cordelia again. "And in return, I get what from you? Wouldn't mind a car. I hear the new Mustang is nice."

"Something better."

"What's a better ride than a Mustang?"

"Me." When he didn't respond, she continued. "That's the offer. No more stalling, no more games. You tell us what you know, you get me."

"Must be some confusion. You took out the soul. Still have the brain."

"Then use it. The Beast, the darkness…. the world is falling apart. We're out of time, we're out of ideas. Your little request to bring Buffy here didn't work. She hung up on Wesley. You're the end of the line." Clearly the girl didn't hear that the blonde Slayer was upstairs in the office with Wesley now.

"Wes was better at buttering me up."

"You know what it means to be a champion."  
"I'm trying so hard to forget."

"Sometimes a sacrifice needs to be made."

"And you're the little lamb. Not that there aren't a few things I wouldn't mind doing to that body…. Other than the obvious."

"Tell us about the Beast, and you can do whatever you want."

Angelus walked up to the bars and smirked, rubbing his hands up and down two of the bars. "I'll pass."

"We don't have time for games! I'm the only one that's offering you anything worth your while."

He laughed. "You think my standards are that low, huh?" She looked stung by his words. "Maybe once upon a time I would've thought about taking that deal. But now? Buffy Summers is the only one I'm interested in making deals with."

"She's not coming!"

His eyes ticked up to the top of the stairs where the blonde Slayer was now standing. "Are you sure about that?"

Cordelia turned around and saw Buffy standing there. Her mouth fell open. "What…. When…."

"Hello, lover." Angelus purred, ignoring Cordelia completely. "Long time, no see."

"There's a reason for that." Buffy retorted. She looked at Cordelia as she descended the stairs. "Go away, Cordelia."

"You're crazy if you think you can just come in here and start giving orders." Cordelia snapped, trying to use her height to intimidate Buffy.

Buffy wasn't fazed. "You're the ones that brought him out without fully grasping what could happen. He only said a few sentences and he's got everyone at each other's throats and you offering yourself up like Christmas dinner to him. I'm pretty sure that makes me the only sane one here. So yeah, I will be giving orders from here on out. Go." Cordelia started to counter, but Buffy looked away and walked over to stand in front of Angelus. They both waited until the brunette had stormed up the stairs and slammed the door behind her.

Angelus smiled. "Turn around and let me get a look at you."

Buffy's face remained stone cold as she placed her hands on her hips. "You wanted me here to tell me what you know about the Beast."

"We can't play a little catch up? It really has been a long time since I've seen you."

"You know what's going on in Sunnydale right now. Do you really think I want to play twenty questions with you?"

"How would I know what's going on in your little slice of hell? You haven't talked to Angel since you two had those couple of days and nights to yourselves after you came back from the dead."

Buffy sighed and lifted her shirt up to reveal the fading bruises on her ribs and then she pulled down her turtleneck to show him the remnants of the bruises on her neck. "Whatever that shaman did to you, it wasn't just a fantasy that made you lose your soul. It was me."

Angelus looked hard at her. The bruise on her jaw was almost gone and the cut on her cheek was just a faded red mark now. But they were the same markings as the Buffy in Angel's little fantasy. "You mean that whole perfect day crap was real?"

"Apparently."

He shuddered. "My other half can make up some seriously cheesy fantasies."

"It was a little _Indiana Jones_ -ish."

A thought occurred to him and he turned his smirk on her. "If that was really you then I have to say…. I'm impressed. You've gotten _much_ better since your 17th birthday."

"Seriously? _That's_ why you wanted to talk to me? To hit on me?"

"I had a lot more in mind that hitting on you."

"I know playing games with me is one of your favorite pastimes and this seems like some new twisted game where you try to get in my pants and _then_ kill me, but I really need to get back to trying to stop the First from destroying the Slayer line."

"Pretty sure I'm on that guy's side."

"Not much you can do to help out your boss at the moment considering you're, you know, locked in a cage."

"I don't have a boss."

"Are you sure? According to the First, it's the reason you are the way you are. The reason you exist. It believes its calling the shots for all the evil in the world."

"Maybe I'm _not_ on that guy's side."

She sighed. "What do you want from me, Angelus? You were so desperate to talk to me, you turned down Cordelia."

"Well, that was just being smart on my end. I wouldn't touch that with a forty foot pole. Though Angel…."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Covered that in dreamland."

"You really don't care that they were making googly eyes at each other?"

"I've slept with three people since Angel and I broke up. I can hardly blame him for trying to move on."

"Three? Really? I know about that college playboy Parker and the Captain America reject Riley. Who's the third? Please don't tell me Boy Wonder."

"Xander? Ew. No."

Angelus moved closer to the bars and sniffed the air. After a moment, he growled. "Spike."

"You vampires and that smelling thing."

"I marked you."

"Excuse me?"

"That little scar on your neck where Angel nearly sucked you dry…. Ever wonder why it scarred? Did you ever think about why none of your other wounds did?" Buffy reached up and touched the scar. "That was me. That mark means you belong to me."

"Angel."

"No. Me. Angel wouldn't have the balls to mark you like that."

"I'm just going to lock that tidbit away for later when I can actually talk to Angel about that."

"What if there isn't a later?"

"You'll have a soul shoved up your ass once the Beast is destroyed. So what do you want from me for you to start singing so I can get back to my own apocalypse?"

"There are so many possibilities. I have a list."

"I'm sure you do. Pick one."

"If I'm going to, as you so eloquently put it, 'have a soul shoved up my ass', then I want you in here with me for two hours before the Soul-Boy comes back to bitch and moan about how horrible I am."

Buffy sighed. "Fine."

"Fine? Just like that? You're not afraid of what I'll do to you?"

"It's no worse than anything I've done to Spike or he to me. I might even enjoy it." Angelus gave her a surprised look. "Oh please, I'm not the innocent little seventeen year old you mentally tortured five years ago."

"In that little fantasy, you were terrified of me coming out."

She shrugged. "And then I threw caution to the wind and had sex with Angel knowing full well where it would lead."

"I'm surprised he didn't stop you like all the times before. Guess all those nights with his hands under the covers thinking about the day he made you forget finally got to him with you standing right there in that easily discarded dress…."

"What day he made me forget?"

Angelus covered his mouth dramatically and gasped. "Whoops. Didn't mean to let that slip."

"I'm sure you didn't. What day are you talking about?"

"Your boy has been keeping a pretty big secret from you for the last three years."

"I'm sure you're just dying to spill it."

"I thought you wanted me to tell you about the Beast?"

"You're the one that brought up Angel's big secret."

"Add another hour in here with me to the deal and I'll tell you what the secret is."

"I'll just ask Angel. I gave you two hours in exchange for world saving information and that's all you're getting."

Angelus shrugged. "I'll leave the deal open in case curiosity gets the best of you."

"The Beast. Start from the beginning."

"Why not? It was 1789."

"36 years after you were changed, so you were in…. Prussia?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "You've been doing your homework."

"Angel and I talked a lot and the Watcher's Diaries have a lot of details about you."

"I was taking a shortcut on my way to Vienna. Started feeling like someone was watching me. There were troops around. I'd run into them now and then. Not as sweet as the girls, by the way."

"Naturally."

"But, the little massacre I ran into? Seriously lacking in military precision. Bodies, bodies everywhere, and not a drop to drink. So, I followed the trail, and there was the one you lot so cleverly call 'the Beast.' We had a lot in common, but he already knew that. He'd been watching me. He staged the carnage to impress me."

"Why did he want to impress you?"

"He thought I might be able to help him with a situation."

"What situation?"

"You've heard of the Svea Priestesses?" Buffy shook her head. "Very powerful, big into banishing. The Beast was next on their list. He couldn't touch them…. some kind of mojo…. but a vampire could."

"He needed you to kill them."

"We had it all worked out. I'd scratch his priestesses, and he'd scratch my back somewhere down the line. A limited partnership."

"So you killed the priestesses and he still owes you a favor?"

"No. I declined. And he didn't ask twice. I probably could have been more diplomatic with my refusal, but I'm not big with teamwork." She snorted and he shot her a glare. "I thought that was going to be the end of me. But, his priestesses showed up. They just started up the whammy, and there you have it. The Beast was banished."

"How?"

"Don't know. I was busy with the passing out."

"How very manly of you."  
"You've seen that thing and how easily it smacked you and Angel down."

"Fair point. Is that everything you know about the Beast?"

"Yes."

She eyed him for a long moment and then nodded. "Ok. I'll go upstairs and tell the others to look for Svea Priestesses."

"What about our deal?"

"As soon as the Beast is banished again, I'll come back and hold up my end of the bargain."

"Prove it."  
"How?"

He quirked a finger at her and beckoned her forward. She took a moment to glance up the stairs and then sighed, taking the two steps forward to stand in front of him with the bars between them. He reached out and took her wrist, lifting it up to his mouth. Without taking his eyes off hers, her licked up her wrist towards her thumb and lightly bit down on the fleshy part of her hand just below her thumb. She sucked in a breath and shuddered, her eyes closing.

Angelus chuckled. "I like this new, darker Buffy. She's going to be fun."

Buffy took her hand back and walked up the stairs. Wesley was the only one around. He was sitting in the office looking at a pile of books. She walked into the office. "Knock, knock."

"Is everything ok?" Wesley said, looking up at her. "Did he reveal anything on the Beast?"

"He told me everything. We need to find the Svea Priestesses. They banished the Beast in Prussia in 1789."

"What was his connection to the Beast?"

"It tried to recruit him for his Evil Buddies Club. He declined."

"That was rather…."

"Anti-climactic? Yeah. Little bit." She sighed. "I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower. Change clothes. Enjoy the sound of silence for a little while."

Wesley nodded. "Understandable. I'm sure Angel wouldn't mind you using his room. I'll get the others started on the research."

Buffy nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

Buffy and Connor walked up to the house at the address Wesley had given them. Cordelia had wanted to go, but Buffy had shot her down. Wesley had thought that Connor should go with Buffy to learn some things from the experienced Slayer. They climbed up the stairs and found a small plaque on the door that read "Svear, Mon. – Fri., 10AM – 4PM".

"Guess this is the right place." Buffy said, ringing the doorbell. She waited a few moments and then rang again.

Connor peeked through one of the windows. "Looks like no one's home."

She nodded and banged on the door. To her surprise, the door flew open from her pounding. "This is never a good sign."

"I wouldn't think so." Connor said, following her inside the house.

"Do you smell that?"

"It smells like death."

They rounded a corner and found several very dead bodies covered in blood. "Well, this is a familiar feeling."

"You find dead bodies a lot?"

"Sadly. And sadly for these people, we're too late."

"How does the Beast know exactly what we're gonna do?"

"Psychic? Maybe?" She knelt down to examine the nearest body of a woman. "I doubt he knew we were coming here. These people have been dead for a few days."

"So by the time the shaman took out Angel's soul it was too late."

"Yeah." Buffy looked over at Connor. His eyes were wide and he looked slightly panicked as he started at the bodies of the children holding their bloody toys. "Hey…."

"They've been here like this…. for days?"

"With the sun being gone and the chaos going on out there…. Yeah. I doubt anyone even noticed they were gone." She reached out and took his hand. "Connor…."

"We should look around. Maybe they left something out that could tell us how to get rid of the Beast." He pulled free from her hand and walked off.

Buffy sighed and moved off in the opposite direction. She found an office and gathered up all the papers and files she found there. Connor was in the kitchen, so she headed that way. She found him starting at a calendar on the refrigerator door. One of the days was marked _Daddy's Birthday_ and circled with a red heart. He suddenly ran away and out of the house.

"Like father, like son." Buffy said, heading out after him. He was sitting on the sidewalk with his head between his knees. It was clear from the smell that he had thrown up. She let him compose himself some before she walked over and sat down next to him. "It's so different. Dead demons are usually just a big blob of oozing mess that sometimes has pretty colors. Vampires just turn into dust in the wind like they were never there at all. But humans…."

"It's not…."

"What?"

"Family."

Before Buffy could answer, a vampire jumped out of the bushes behind them. She was the first one up and knocked him backwards with a powerful punch. Another vampire appeared and attacked Connor. Buffy pulled out a stake and took care of the first one before yanking the vampire off of Connor. He grabbed a stake from his pocket, but Buffy had already dusted that vampire. Another vampire attacked them and together, they dusted him.

"Time to go!" Buffy said as she grabbed Connor's hand and hauled him towards the car. He glanced back to see a large group of vampires heading down the street towards them. She jumped over the hood and climbed into the driver's seat as Connor scrambled into the passenger's seat.

A vampire jumped at Buffy before she could get the door closed. She stomped on its hand and elbowed it in the face and she turned the key in the ignition. Slamming the door on the vampire's head and then slamming it shut, she hit the gas. They flew down the road, leaving the vampires behind.

"Are you ok?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah." Connor said, not looking at her.

"You're so much like your dad, it's ridiculous."

"I'm nothing like him."

She laughed. "Keep telling yourself that. Connor, it's not a bad thing to be like Angel. He's a great man."

"He's not a man."

"I'm sorry you grew up in a hell dimension with one of Angelus's enemies who wasn't around for the last two centuries, but this attitude towards your dad is unwarranted. He is a good man and he wants nothing more than to do good in this world. To do right by the people he loves. One of them is you, his son."

"You haven't even been here."

"I don't need to be here to know that because I know Angel."

"You love him."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I can give you a million reasons why, Connor. I just know that I've seen him at his best and at his worst and he's still the one person I would give pretty much anything to be with."

"Why aren't you with him?"

"Because I trigger his curse. I turn him into his worst. Until that can be gotten rid of, then there can't be an 'us'."

Connor was silent the rest of the way to the Hyperion. When they got back, Gunn, Fred, and Lorne were gathered around the TV displaying the security footage of Angelus. Cordelia and Wesley came out of the office.

"What happened?" Cordelia asked.

"Vamps." Connor answered.

"You didn't get the Svear." Fred said, realizing Buffy and Connor were alone.

"The Beast got there first." Buffy said. "We found the bodies."

"Guess he found a way to kill them after all."

"So much for our big priestess rescue." Gunn said.

"Are we sure Angelus doesn't know anything more? I mean, maybe Buffy, you should talk to…."

Buffy shook her head. "He's told us everything he's going to."

"Which means our last-ditch plan, turning Angel into a soulless monster, it's a bust." Gunn said. "If Angelus can't help us…."

"It's time to bring back Angel." Cordelia said.

Connor suddenly walked out of the lobby. "Oh, and he's usually so chatty." Lorne said.

"He's had a rough night." Buffy said.

"We'll need the shaman." Wesley said.

* * *

Buffy walked down the stairs into the basement. Angelus was sitting in the dark corner of the cell. Normal people wouldn't be able to see him, but she had good vision. He watched her walk up to the red line and stop.

"You keeping your word?" He asked.

"I told you I'd be back." Buffy said.

"How'd the little field trip turn out? Priestesses still feisty?"

"The whole family was dead."

"Oh, god! I'm always missing the fun stuff. Did you bring me back a souvenir? Maybe a stray baby toe?" Buffy didn't react so Angelus stood up and walked over to stand in front of her. "Come on, Buff. Where's your sense of humor?" She still didn't answer him. "Well, don't blame me for our little debacle. I told you everything I know."

"It was too late."

"Who's fault is that? Doesn't matter. I showed you mine. Now it's time to show me yours."

"You weren't listening. I told you I would give you two hours with me in exchange for world saving information. News flash: world not saved."

Angelus paused for a moment, surprised that Buffy had actually managed to play him. "You're not thinking I'm just gonna let this go."

"Last I checked, you're out of options."

"Won't be in here forever."

"According to Wesley, you've got about one more hour in there. The shaman is on his way to give you your soul back."

Angelus smiled at her. "Not gonna happen."

Buffy stared at him, remembering that smile. He'd given it to her a number of times. It meant he knew something she didn't. She turned and rushed up the stairs. Lorne let out a startled cry when she ran past him. Wesley and Fred were in the office and they jumped at her sudden appearance. "Open the safe." She demanded.

"What?" Wesley asked.

"Angel's soul. I need to see it. Now."

Wesley stood up and opened the picture on the wall to reveal the hidden safe. He turned the combination lock until it clicked and opened the safe. As Buffy had suspected, Angel's soul was gone.


	3. Calvary

Buffy sat in Angel's office on the phone with Willow. "I hate leaving you guys with everything going on up there…."

"It's ok, Buffy." Willow said. "They need you. We've got things covered down here. If anything goes wonky, we'll call you. Just…. Focus on getting Angel back and stopping that Beast guy."

"That's the plan. Wesley, Cordy, and Connor are going to talk to the shaman to see if he can track Angel's soul."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Right now? Just…. Make sure Dawn is ok. I'll keep you updated on stuff down here. If we need you…."

"I'll be ready to help."

"Thank you."

"Buffy? Stay safe."

"I'll try." Buffy hung up and heard Angelus on the monitor.

"Awfully quiet up there." He was saying. "I've had time to think, and I've realized something important. Being evil is wrong. I want to be good. I want to be Angel again. You hear me? I'm ready!"

Gunn, who was standing with Fred in front of the monitor, tested his flamethrower he'd just spent the last ten minutes refueling. "I'm ready too, fang boy."

"We all are." Buffy said, walking out of the office to join them.

"He knows, doesn't he?" Fred asked. "That his soul's missing?"

"He knew before we did."

"I hope that shaman can help us."

"That shaman should never have been brought here." Gunn said. "Now, instead of just worrying about the big bad Rocky, we got Darth Vampire living in the basement."

"Bringing Angelus out was our best chance."

"That you talking, or Wes?"

"You were pushing for it too, Charles."

"Then maybe I did the wrong thing."

Buffy shook her head and headed up to Angel's room. She'd decided to stay in his room while she was here since it was already made and because she wanted to torture herself, apparently. As if Angelus being back wasn't torture enough. The dream/vision thing the shaman had sucked her into had brought forth some feelings she usually kept buried incredibly deep within herself when it came to Angel. Surrounding herself with him definitely wasn't the greatest idea, but she just wanted to feel him again.

Buffy laid down on the bed and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, letting in Angel's scent. It was the same as it always had been: A forest after a spring rain. She never had figured out why he smelled like that, but she loved his smell. With the smell came the memory of the fantasy.

Angel's hands holding her firmly against him.

His mouth and tongue making her breasts tingle.

The feel of him moving inside her.

His teeth grazing the scar on her neck, making her shudder all the way down into her bones.

The complete love with which he looked at her.

The look of horror on his face when his soul began to leave him.

Buffy shot up and looked around the darkened room. She didn't know how much time had passed. With the sun gone, the only way to tell was by looking at a clock. Which Angel didn't have for some reason. There was a knock at the door. She shook her head and got out of bed, going to answer the door.

Connor was on the other side. "Did I wake you up?"

"No." Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "Did you get the shaman?"

"No. He wasn't any help. We've got an even bigger problem. Lilah from Wolfram and Hart was in the basement with Angelus."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. Wesley went after her."

"And Angelus?"

"Still locked in his cage. Gunn shot him with a tranquilizer."

Buffy moved past Connor and headed downstairs. He followed close behind. Gunn, Fred, and Cordelia were down in the basement. "Lilah or not, something is doing the Beast's dirty work." Gunn was saying.

"It would explain how giant lava boy could tiptoe past us to take out Manny." Cordelia said.

"And butcher that family, those priestesses." Connor said, walking down the stairs with Buffy.

"Even though Lilah's evil, I don't see her hacking up all those people." Fred said.

"I have a theory." Buffy said. Everyone's attentions diverted to her and she shrugged as if the theory were completely obvious. Which it should be. "The Beast doesn't have minions. It _is_ the minion?"

"It can't be." Fred said. "We've seen what it can do."

"Morons." Angelus said. "Why is it the blonde is the only one with a brain in this place?"

"What?"

"Buff's right. The big rock doesn't have minions. It _is_ the minion. And all that stuff you've seen? Just the warm-up act."

"What are you saying?" Cordelia asked.

"I'm saying there's something bigger. Something worse. The Beast has a boss."

"Worse than the Beast?" Gunn asked.

"That's…. that's not possible."

"It's entirely possible." Buffy said.

"How do you know there's something worse than the Beast?" Connor asked.

"Probably because I'm in the middle of a war with the First Evil. I don't think it gets worse than that."

"Before that…. You said…."

"Oh. Right. Well, from what Angelus said, actually." She looked at Angelus and he nodded.

"The Beast I knew was big into smash and slaughter." Angelus said. "Had the brawn to be really good at it too, but the big picture? Not his strong point. But whoa! Flash forward. Now he's all rain of fire, destroying the Ra-Tet, blotting out the sun. Big moves for a guy whose head is made out of rock."

"Maybe he got smarter." Cordelia said. Buffy looked at her for a moment and then back at Angelus before Cordelia could notice her gaze.

"And maybe I'll sprout some wings and flutter away."

"My apocalypse back home and this one could actually be connected. The First is great at pulling strings and using minions to do its heavy lifting. Bringers, Turok-Hans, Spike…. The Beast could just be another one of its puppets."

"Ooh, don't know about you, but I'm just dying to find out."

"Ok, everyone upstairs." Buffy said, rolling her eyes at Angelus. "Let's leave tall, dark, and evil pacing in his cage." Everyone filed upstairs except for Buffy. She and Angelus were having a staring contest.

Connor noticed and stepped between Buffy and Angelus. "Are you ok?" He asked her.

"Yeah."

"Maybe you should stay down here and guard me." Angelus suggested.

"You don't have to." Connor said to her. "We've got the monitor."

"Don't tell me you have a crush on my Slayer." Angelus rolled his eyes. "As if banging Cordelia wasn't bad enough."

Connor glared at Angelus, but Buffy pushed him up the stairs and out the door. They made it into the lobby just as Wesley and Lilah walked in through the front doors.

"What, no cake?" Lilah asked.

"Where is it?" Fred demanded.

"Where is what?"

"Angel's soul." Cordelia said.

"Oh, that what."

"She didn't take it." Wesley said.

"How do you know?" Connor asked.

"Because she told me."

"And you believe her?" Gunn asked. "Lying's her job."

"He's got a point." Lilah said as she opened her coat and turned around, revealing a deep stab wound. "You wanna search me?"

"What happened?" Buffy asked.

"She was injured in an attack by the Beast on Wolfram and Hart." Wesley said.

Lilah's eyes locked on Buffy. "Well, well, well. This is a surprise. Angel's favorite Slayer is in the mix. I should've guessed they would call you in if Angelus was on the outside."

"What were you doing downstairs with him?"

"She was gathering intel." Wesley said.

Buffy's eyes didn't leave Lilah's. "I didn't ask you, Wesley."

"You don't like me, do you cupcake?" Lilah asked.

"No. I don't. I've been told enough about you to know that you're worse than Angelus."

"I don't get off on killing people."  
"I find that very hard to believe."

"I'm with Buffy." Gunn said. "Lilah's the only one to make it out of Wolfram and Hart alive, then she shows up right after Angel's soul goes missing. That doesn't add up to anything good."

"I've already told you, she didn't have anything to do with that." Wesley said.  
"Maybe she knows who did." Connor said, stepping up beside Buffy. Buffy didn't miss the glare Cordelia shot their way. She didn't have time to analyze its meaning, though.

"Or who's controlling the Beast." Fred added.

"Controlling?" Lilah asked.

"The Beast is being controlled." Buffy said. "Know anything about that?"

"Are you certain?" Wesley asked.

"I've seen enough apocalypses to know a minion when I see one."

"You haven't seen the Beast, though." Lilah said. "Not that I'm aware of."

"That's a long story." Wesley said. He walked up to Buffy. "That's what he's been trying to hide. There might be something in the text we…."

"Text?" Cordelia asked.

Wesley held up a book. "Lilah found a passage in _Rhinehardt's Compendium_."

"But we searched that already." Fred insisted. "There's nothing in there."

"Because all references to the Beast have been erased in this dimension."

"I got my copy of _Rhinehardt's_ way out of town." Lilah said. "I'm surprised you didn't think of that."  
"That's why Angel didn't remember the Beast." Buffy said. "His memory was wiped like the book was."  
"Why does Angelus remember?" Connor asked.

"He was locked in his cage behind Angel's soul when the spell was cast."

Wesley walked up to Fred. "We should compare this passage with the information Wolfram and Hart extracted from Lorne. There might be…."

Gunn grabbed the flamethrower. "Yeah, have fun with that."  
"Charles…." Fred started.

"Somebody needs to be downstairs, make sure nobody else tries to intel our boy." Gunn said.

"It won't be you." Buffy said.

"Excuse me?"

"Gunn, you're extremely emotional right now and that makes you extremely vulnerable to Angelus. Trust me, you do not want to be alone with him in your state. Just…. Go cool off somewhere. Get your head in check." Gunn glared at her, but set down the flamethrower and walked off. "I'll go play guard dog. You guys figure out what's coming, if it's connected to the First, and how to get Angel back before it gets here."

Connor started to follow her. "I'll come with."

"No. I'm best equipped to deal with him." She laid her hand on his bicep and noticed Cordelia side-eyeing her. "Besides, your dad wouldn't want you spending any more time with Angelus than you have to."

"I think he would feel that way about you, too."

"Probably. But I was never a good listener." Buffy smiled at Wesley as she heard him give a snort. She squeezed Connor's arm and headed down to the basement.

Angelus watched her from the shadows, enjoying the way her muscles moved under her skin. "I'm curious, Buff, is it because you're not quite right anymore that you've screwed Spike and that you're down here with me, or have you just finally accepted that you belong in the dark with the rest of us demons?"

Buffy calmly sat down on the bottom stair and looked over at him. "No one else deserves your torture."

"Interesting wording. You think you deserve torture?"

"Don't I? I let Angelus out. They didn't know what they were asking when they agreed to bring in that shaman. I knew exactly what I was doing in that fantasy. You're here because of me."

"You're taking too much credit. Pretty sure that shaman would've yanked my soul out one way or another. It probably would've been with Cordelia if it wasn't you." Angelus shuddered. "I'm happy it was you."

"Why?"

"Because you're mine. Cordelia means nothing to me."  
"And I actually mean something to you?" She scoffed and shook her head. "You hate me."

"If I hated you, why would I mark you?"

"You tell me."

"I tried every way I knew to get rid of you in Sunnydale. But you never succumbed to me. Always fought back with everything you were. Eventually it became a fun game just to see what kind of rise I could get out of you."

"And that's why you tried to end the world?"

Angelus shrugged. "I was impulsive."

"You call trying to suck the world into hell impulsive?"

"I've had time to think since our stint together in Sunnydale. Angel killed my sire and then she killed herself for the walking disappointment of my loins. I would much rather have someone at my side that's not so easily…. Disposed of."

"Well, I'm definitely not easily disposed of even when I'm looking to be disposed of, but I'm not really looking to be at _your_ side. In case you forgot, you're still my enemy."

Angelus smirked. "When has the great Buffy the Vampire Slayer ever wanted to be disposed of?"

Buffy looked up at him. "No."

"No?"

"You seem to forget that I'm pretty much the only person in Angel's life that can distinguish between him and you. I'm not talking to _you_ about that. You'll just use it against me."

"Fine. Have it your way. You owe me two hours. While the idiots are running around trying to distinguish their asses from their elbows, you come in here and make good on your deal." He watched her contemplate what he was saying. "Come on, Buff. You know I'm a better ride than old Spikey."

"You're one to talk about old." She stood up and walked up to the bars, ignoring the red line. "What's your angle?"

He moved his face as close to hers as possible through the bars and chuckled. "I doubt that you forgot my angle is just slightly upward and hits exactly where you like it." His hand ran up her hip and began to move up under her shirt.

"Why do you want me?"

"There's no one like you. Why wouldn't I want you?"

"Because we're mortal enemies. And while you share his body…." Buffy pushed Angelus back and stepped behind the red line. "You're not Angel."

He didn't seem fazed by the rejection. "I can taste the darkness in you, baby. Tell me truthfully: why did _you_ screw Captain Peroxide? I know why he did it. The idiot has been disgustingly obsessed with you for years."

"And you weren't?"

He shrugged. "I don't want to shower you with hearts and flowers like that dunce. I just want to make you mine in every way possible."

"I'll never be yours."

"Really? That mark says differently."

"This is Angel's mark."

"I told you, he doesn't have the balls to leave a mark on that perfect body of yours. He didn't even have the balls to stay with you."

"He was trying to avoid you coming back out to play."

"Do you really think that he wouldn't be able to be with you?" Angelus chuckled. "There's plenty of ways to have fun with you without losing his soul. Plenty of ways for you both to get off without risking me. He knew that. He just denied himself because we all know how much he loves flogging himself." Buffy didn't say anything as she leaned against the wall. "You know, he could've gone out and found a cure to his little loophole. Kept me at bay forever."

"There is no cure."

He watched her for a long moment, trying gauge the thoughts rushing in her mind and almost clearly legible on her face. "I'm sure there's one out there somewhere. And you believe it, too."

"Spike…."

Angelus rolled his eyes. "What about him?"

"He has his soul now. I don't know how…. He's never actually told me beyond saying he fought for it in some kind of demon trials."

"Of course he got a soul. Little freak has always tried to be me. Guess he figured getting a soul was the only way to get back in your pants. Just proves my point, though. Angel didn't search for a loophole cure because he loves his soul more than you."

"Do you honestly think he didn't try? I've seen all the books in his little collection upstairs."

"Come on, Buff. I'm in here all the time, just under the surface, and I can assure you the thought of closing that loophole and being with you scared him. Dumbass believes he has to suffer every minute of every day and he knows for certain that he wouldn't suffer with you around. In fact, he knows firsthand what it's like to spend a whole day in bed with you."

"What?"

He covered his mouth and feigned shock. "Whoops. Said too much."

"You said exactly what you meant to say."

She watched the grin spread across his face. "You got me." Buffy rolled her eyes and turned to head up the stairs. "That time you came out here after Thanksgiving all hurt and angry that he'd shown up and skulked around behind your back…." She stopped and turned to look at Angelus expectantly. "He was human for a whole 24 hours."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't? Then walk up those stairs." She didn't move and he smirked. "That demon that jumped through the window…."

"He killed it."

"And you questioned how he knew how to kill it. Like you knew something was up."

"I just assumed he'd faced one before."

"He had. You both had. You just don't remember because he had the day reversed. He…. And me…. Are the only ones who remember that day." He hummed with pleasure. "And what a day it was! I loved how you licked ice cream off my chest." Buffy had a flash of a memory of a dream she'd once had about her and Angel eating ice cream in bed. He had dripped some on his chest and complained about coordination, but she had instantly silenced him by showing him how fun melting ice cream could be. It was just a dream, though.

Fred rushed down the stairs suddenly with Wesley not far behind her, making both Buffy and Angelus look at them sharply. "Cordelia had a vision." Fred said to Buffy. "She knows how to put his soul back."

"I guess the Powers saw how bad you guys suck." Angelus said.

"Doing better than you!"

"Fred…." Buffy started.

"Ooh, she really has put on spunk, huh, Wes. Not the same, shy, bitchcow we pulled out of Pylea." Angelus taunted.

"There's only one bitch here and I'm looking at him." Fred snapped.

"Oh, come on, we all know it's for the best. Now you can go for the real prize." Angelus moved closer to Wesley. "Mmm…. Man, I'm telling ya, if I swung that way…. Look at him…. All rugged and handsome and brains…. He's damn-near perfect."

"Thank you." Wesley said, ushering Fred back towards the stairs.

"Except the part about banging Lilah for the past six months. That kinda takes the shine off him."

Fred laughed nervously and looked at Wesley. "Fred…." He started.

"No, it…. It's none of my business. I should…." She turned and rushed up the stairs.

Angelus chuckled as he watched Wesley walked up the stairs after her. "Cute kids. Maybe they'll make it one day."

Buffy was torn between going up and helping and staying down here to learn more about what Angelus had meant by Angel being human. She decided to go upstairs and help. Better than torturing herself with what could've been or wasn't ever.

* * *

Gunn and Connor stood in the hole they were digging in the cemetery while Buffy stood off to the side. They had been tasked with getting the soul-eater skull for Cordelia's spell.

"Are you sure this is the right spot?" Connor asked.

"The landmarks look like what Cordy described in her vision." Buffy said.

"You know, you could help us." Gunn said to Gunn.

"I could, but I was raised to believe that the men did the grave digging and the women have the babies." Connor let out a loud laugh as Gunn shot her a glare.

"I've never fought a soul-eater before." Connor said to Buffy. "Have you?"

"Nope."

"Good thing we won't have to, then." Gunn said. "Cordy says this thing was buried by the Chumash a couple hundred years ago. Don't expect it to put up too much of a fight."

"So, what if we can't find it?" Connor asked.

"Then we're screwed. The skull of the soul-eater is the main piece of the spell Cordy saw. Without that…." Gunn's shovel hit something metallic.

Buffy walked to the edge of the hole as their shovels both hit the metal thing again. "Clear it off."

"Ooh, thank you, Powers that Be! About damn time." Gunn reached down to try the lock on the box.

"Want me to do that?" Connor asked.

"Uh, I got it." Suddenly a creature's hand shot up out of the box and grabbed Gunn's throat.

Buffy was suddenly there yanking the creature's hand away just as Connor stabbed it with his sword. Buffy, Connor, and Gunn scrambled out of the hole. "You ok?" She asked Gunn.

"Oh, I so don't need that kind of crap."

"Don't feel bad. It's happened to me too."

"A demon hand popped out of a box and choked you?" Connor asked.

"Yup. Well, it was just an arm, but yeah. So we need to just chop this things' head off and get it back…." Buffy moved over to the hole and looked down. The soul-eater was gone. "Of course it moves fast. Why wouldn't it?"

She turned just in time to get punched in the jaw. Connor stopped her from falling in, but they both tumbled in when the soul-eater hit Connor in the back. Gunn tried to take the thing on alone while the two of them disentangled themselves and clambered out of the hole again. Buffy closed her eyes and ignored everything else. She opened her senses, listening and feeling where the soul-eater was.

Gripping her sword, she suddenly spun and Connor and Gunn yelped as her sword connected with the soul-eater's neck. There was a bit of hard bone that her sword caught on for a second, but her strength kept the momentum going. The head flew off the body as she opened her eyes.

"Nice!" Gunn and Connor yelled.

"Ick…. It smells awful." Buffy said, her nose wrinkling.

Connor leaned down and picked the head up. "You think it'll work?"

"It better. If there's really something badder than the Beast, we've got to get Angel back before it comes." Gunn said.

"There's definitely something badder than the Beast." Buffy said. "Why do you people keep doubting me?"

"Because honestly, I don't want to wrap my head around it. The Beast is pretty bad. You'll find out when you face him."

"Seriously, there's nothing worse than the First Evil. It's the evilest of the evil. It can take on the image of any dead person. It has these acolytes called The Bringers that look like eyeless monks that use these large curved daggers. I had to fight this…. Neanderthal vampire…."

"Huh?" Connor asked.

"The vampires that existed before the vampires that exist now. This thing was the hardest thing I've ever had to kill. I staked it and it didn't die."

"How did you kill it?"

"I cut its head off with barbed wire."

"Oh."

"Come on, let's get this thing back to the hotel so we can get Angel's soul back."

An hour later, Buffy, Gunn, and Connor, carrying the head, walked into the lobby. Cordelia, Fred, Lorne, and Wesley were already there with the other things they'd needed to collect for the spell. Connor walked up to the reception counter and set the head down in front of Cordelia.

"We got the skull of the soul-eater." He announced. "Buffy killed it with her eyes closed."

Cordelia scoffed. Buffy wasn't sure if it was at the head or at Connor's enthusiastic remark about Buffy's abilities. The brunette shook her head. "I'm just saying…."

"It looks rather fresh." Wesley said.

"We had to move up its expiration date." Buffy said as she sent a quick text message to Willow. Her comment caused Gunn and Connor to snicker.

"Cordy?"

Cordelia closed her eyes for a moment. "I just see the skull. It doesn't have any…. You know…. Parts."

"Right." Wesley looked at Gunn. "Take it to the kitchen. Remove the flesh and the soft tissue." Connor and Gunn groaned as they took the skull out of the lobby with Cordelia right behind Connor.

Lilah walked into the lobby just then. "It's just like being at work, except suits by Liberace."

"Buffy, you're a strong, intimidating woman who has a reputation for beating up bad guys. Would you be a lamb and please warn this walking infection that I haven't forgotten how she poked my head open like a Capri-Sun; and while my love for humanity allows me to tolerate her presence, if need be you will smack her down! Thanks." Buffy smiled at Lorne as he stood and walked out of the room. She liked the demon so far. Her gaze fell on Lilah and the smile melted. With one last glare, Buffy headed for the basement door. No one was watching Angelus at the moment and that was when he was most dangerous.

"I see you missed me." He said as she walked down the stairs.

Buffy said, sitting down on the last step. "Someone has to play babysitter and there's only two people in the building with superpowers. The other one doesn't need to be anywhere near you because his dad asked him not to be, so here I am."

"Well, you're prettier to look at, at least."

"Thank you."

"So where were we before we got interrupted? That's right, I was telling you why Angel values his precious soul over anything else. Including you."

"Save it. I'm done talking with you. Angel will be back soon enough."

"And then what? You confront him about what mean old me said? He confirms it, proving that I was right all along, and you walk away for good; head back to William the Bloody Awful and wish he was me every time you spread your legs for him?"

"I never wished he was you."

"Me, Angel, what difference does it make? You've spent years trying to find a substitute for _this_ body. But none of them were good enough, were they? Not that one night stand you had with the college playboy or that Ken doll who played dress up as a G.I. Joe and especially not that creepy mama's boy William. All those nights of never quite being satisfied…. They added up. That little fantasy we were both sucked into showed me that." She didn't say anything for a long time. "Come on, Buff. I know you want it."

Thankfully, Lorne opened the door just then and walked down with Cordelia, Connor, Gunn, Wesley, Lilah, and Fred. They began setting up the magical circle from Cordelia's vision. The cleaned skull sat at the center with twigs arranged in the shape of a circle around it. Lorne and Fred worked on lighting the white candles around the perimeter.

"Have you all lost your mind?" Angelus asked. "You're going to use black magic to restore my soul? People, this never goes well. Am I the only one paying attention?"

"Ten-to-one, the entire hotel gets sucked into a hell dimension." Lilah said.

"You, two with the shutting up." Gunn snapped.

"Talk about eleventh-hour desperation." Angelus looked at Buffy standing in the corner watching everything with a concerned face. "Even the mighty Slayer isn't sure about this set up. Face it, you're grasping. No jar, no soul."

"You sound pretty desperate yourself." Connor said, instantly coming to Buffy's defense even though she didn't need it. Buffy didn't miss the glare Cordelia sent to Connor's back. Something was really off.

"Do you have the vial?" Cordelia asked.

"Let's be realistic. Even if your precious champion makes another guest appearance, you can't stop the apocalypse. Bottom line is you're going to lose. The last thing you smell will be each other's blood."

"That's your opinion." Fred said as Cordelia poured the contents of the vial on the skull.

"You tell him, honey." Lilah quipped.

"You, shut your fat mouth."

"Look at you…. heroes. So tangled up in your own crap, you can't even find the world to save it."

"Does everyone have their talismans?" Cordelia asked. She looked at Buffy. "Why don't you have one?"

"Why do I need one?"

"We all need one."

Buffy shook her head as her phone began buzzing in her pocket. "Good thing I'm opting out of this, then." She pulled her phone out and saw that it was Willow calling her. "I've got to take this." She walked up the stairs, answering her phone on the way so no one could protest.

"I'm looking into spells that use those ingredients and none of them are good." Willow said. The text Buffy had sent earlier had listed the ingredients of Cordelia's spell with the words what spell and a question mark.

Buffy headed up to Angel's room in case anyone tried to follow her and eavesdrop on the conversation. "I've got this weird feeling about Cordelia."

"What's new there?"

Buffy chuckled. "True. But this time is different. She's…. Different. I can't quite put my finger on it, but this spell to suddenly restore Angel's soul…."

"Is that what she's saying this spell does?"

"Yes. She said she had a vision from the Powers that told her that this spell would restore Angel's soul."

"None of the spells that use those ingredients involve soul restoration. The only ones I know of that restore souls are the gypsy curse and whatever demon trials Spike went through. And those don't account for a soul trapped in a jar that happens to be lost."

"Then what does _this_ spell do?"

"There's a few different options, none of them good. This is dark magic stuff, Buffy. Nothing that inexperienced people should be messing with. One of the spells destroys a person's sanity slowly. There's one of them turns a child into a vessel for a demon to come through to our world. Another one suppresses empathy. And then there's this one…."

"Wait…. Suppresses empathy?"

"Yeah."

"Like…. Prevents an empathic demon from being able to tell whether someone has their soul or not?"

"Buffy, you need to stop that spell."

Buffy hung up and ran downstairs. Lilah was standing at the bottom of the stairs holding a tray of coffee mugs. The Slayer's sudden appearance startled the lawyer and Lilah dropped the tray. Wesley, Connor, and Gunn jumped at the noise. Angelus suddenly appeared outside of the office.

"Who let him out?" Buffy asked.

"There was a change in plans." Angelus said. "Cordy actually talked me out of staying down there. Now, I've got my own mission." He was edging towards the door.

Buffy moved forward. "You're not going anywhere."

"Don't you trust me?"

"I trust Angel. You're not him."

"Lorne said…." Connor said.

"Lorne's wrong." Buffy launched herself at Angelus before he could make it to the front doors. They rolled and Buffy managed to pin Angelus underneath her. She could see in his eyes that the soul that made this body Angel wasn't there. She had always been able to tell the difference. He grinned up at her before punching her hard in the temple. She tumbled off him and he took the advantage to kick her in the midsection, sending her sliding across the lobby floor and crashing into the settee, before running out the front doors.

Gunn and Connor raced over to Buffy's aide while Wesley grabbed a handgun. Fred came out of the office and looked around in confusion. She spotted the unconscious Cordelia laying on the ground of the cell in the basement on the monitor and rushed downstairs. Buffy got to her feet and stopped Wesley from going after Angelus.

"I'll go." She said.

"We're coming with you." Gunn said, going over to the weapon's cabinet.

"Angelus is dangerous."

"He's just another soulless vampire."

"He's not your average vamp. Far from it." Buffy spotted Cordelia coming out of the basement with Fred.

"Buffy…." She started.

"You did this."

"I don't understand how the spell didn't work."

"Connor, you're with me. Fred, you and Lilah stay here and don't let Cordelia out of your sight. I have some questions for her when we get back."

"What's going on?" Fred asked.

"Your only advantage is Angelus might think we want to capture him." Wesley said. "I think we're all agreed that's not an option anymore."

"You don't get a say in that." Buffy snapped.

"Angelus is on the loose cause we brought him in this world." Gunn said. "It's our job to take him out of it."

"None of us are killing Angelus. Understood? Tranq darts only. We're going to capture him, put him back in that cage, and Willow is going to fix this. If any of you have an issue with this, take it up with someone who cares." Buffy turned to Connor. "Let's go before we lose his trail."

Connor followed Buffy out. Wesley and Gunn finally caught up to them in the truck a few blocks away from the hotel. Connor stopped in the middle of the street and looked at Buffy in confusion. "I don't understand." He said. "It doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't?" Wesley asked.

"Angelus' scent ends here."

"It ends here? Somebody pick him up?" Gunn asked.

"He would go to the place where he could wreak the most damage." Buffy said. She looked around the sparsely populated area and shook her head. With LA a war zone and humans scarce, where would he go? She could slap herself for not seeing the obvious sooner. "He doubled back."


	4. Salvage

Buffy led Wesley and Gunn through the hallways, following Angelus' trail. Wesley was focused on finding Lilah. Angelus had shown up back at the hotel just like Buffy had predicted. He'd attacked Cordelia and Fred and gone after the lawyer.

"Lilah!" Wesley called.

He and Gunn almost ran into Buffy when she stopped abruptly. Angelus was near the end of the hallway holding a very dead Lilah in his arms. His face was buried in her neck until the three had come around the corner.

His eyes focused on Buffy. "Oh, geez, Buffy, this isn't what it looks like." Gunn threw the battle-axe at Angelus, but missed and it buried in the wall next to Angelus' head. "A little too tart for me, anyway. You know what I mean, Wes?" He dropped Lilah's body just as Buffy took a step towards him. "Catch ya later." He turned and ran away, hurling himself out the window at the end of the hallway. Buffy tried to go after him, but Gunn grabbed her before she could jump.

"I could've made it!" Buffy snapped.

"I wasn't sure. Sorry." Gunn said, letting go of her waist.

"Buffy's a Slayer." Wesley said, not taking his eyes off Lilah's bloody neck wound. "She has abilities that match and excel most vampires. Gunn, get something to cover her up in."

Gunn shrugged. "Sure." He headed down the hallway, leaving Buffy and Wesley to stand over Lilah's body.

Buffy knelt down to examine the neck wound. Something was off about it. "Look at the wound." Buffy said.

"It's Angeuls' bite. I don't need to look any closer." Wesley said.

"I see his bite, but there's something else. Something deeper." She moved closer to inspect it more, but Wesley grabbed her shoulder. "You used to be a Watcher, Wes. How about acting like it? The Slayer is telling you this isn't just a vampire bite. You should probably listen to her."

"What difference does it make how Angelus killed her?"

"Because she was dead when he got to her. Couldn't you tell from the way her body looked in his arms? It was…. Awkward." Wesley sighed and knelt down next to her. Sure enough, there was a deeper wound in the middle of Angelus' bite mark. "Angelus doesn't kill with a knife. Especially not one that's as….. unelegant as this one is."  
" _In_ elegant."

"You know what I meant. This isn't his MO."

"Is it one of the Harbingers' daggers?"

"No. This is too messy…. Jagged. And not big enough. Their daggers are curved and not serrated at all. This wound was made by a straight dagger. Besides, they're after Potentials and Watchers, not ex-lawyers."

"Do you think it's the thing controlling the Beast?"

"Most likely." Buffy stood up as she heard Gunn approaching. Cordelia, Connor, Lorne, and Fred had come with him and they all watched as Wesley and Gunn wrapped Lilah's dead body in the plastic sheeting. Connor walked over to the broken window and looked angrily out the window.

Suddenly he broke the silence, banging his hands on the window sill. "What are we waiting for?" Connor demanded. "Why aren't we going after him?"

"No need. He'll be back." Wesley said.

"How do you know?" Fred asked.

"We're the ones he wants to hurt." Cordelia said before Buffy could speak up. "The people closest to Angel." She added with a quick glare towards Buffy.

"I say we dust him before he gets the chance." Connor snapped.

"No one is dusting him." Buffy snapped back. "I'm going on patrol. Everyone else, stay close to the hotel."

"And do what?" Fred asked. "If Angelus is coming back for us, we can't just be waiting for him to drop by. We need to do something. Board up the windows, make it safe somehow. Don't you think?"

"If he wants in, nothing's going to stop him."

"The birth of a notion, kids." Lorne said. "We use the sanctuary spell." He looked at Buffy and clarified, "An anti-demon-violence charm I used down at Caritas. It won't keep Angelus from making a house call, but it should keep carnage down to a minimum."

"Sounds like a solid plan. Will it take long?"

"I'll go put a call into the Furies. Maybe they could tech-support me through a quickie version."

"Magic again." Connor growled. "You people rely way too much on that junk."

"We use whatever tools we have." Wesley said.

"Yeah, only it never really works the way it's supposed to. It's why we're here, isn't it? Why he's loose?"

"No, the reason he's loose is because someone used the wrong spell." Buffy turned on Cordelia. "Why didn't it work, Cordy?"

"I don't know." Cordelia said defensively.

"You don't? Because according to one of the most powerful witches on this planet, that spell wasn't to bring Angel's soul back."

"Then what was it for Miss All-Knowing-Slayer? What did your best friend who's always on your side say it was for?"

"Those ingredients are used in a few spells, all dark magic, and none of them good. But the only one it could've been in this circumstance was to block Lorne's empathy power. He can't properly read Angelus, it makes everyone believe the spell actually brought Angel back. And you were sure adamant that I have one of the talisman. Sounds like you were trying to block me from knowing the difference between Angel and Angelus."

"What?!" Lorne cried. Everyone turned to Cordelia.

"The Powers sent that spell to me…." Cordelia said.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked, moving threateningly towards the brunette. "Are you sure you're not being controlled?"

"The answer is among you." Fred said.

"Are you kidding me?" Cordelia cried. "Angel's ex-girlfriend that he dumped waltzes in here and everyone just starts kissing her ass? Listening to every absurd thing she says? For all we know, she's the one being controlled."

"She wasn't among us when the girl in the White Room told us that." Wesley said.

"Then she's jealous of me! I don't know. All I know is that that spell was sent to me by the Powers That Be…."

"Maybe her visions got hacked like they did that one time?" Gunn asked.

"Possibly." Wesley said. "I'm sorry, Cordelia, but either way you look at it, the evidence is against you."

"Are you kidding me?"

"We need to confine her to her room." Buffy said. "Keep a guard on her door at all times. Maybe get your friends to put a spell on her room to keep her there, Lorne?"

"I'll ask them." Lorne said.

"You can't be serious right now!" Cordelia cried.

"I'll take her." Connor offered. He walked over to Cordelia and took her arm. He glanced down at Lilah. "We should destroy her."

"What?" Wesley asked.

"The body. She could have been turned."  
"Sired, you mean? No, there wasn't enough time." Gunn said.

"You don't know that."

"Lilah was already dead by the time Angelus got to her." Buffy said. "Someone stabbed her in the neck with a jagged knife."

"Seriously?" Gunn asked.

"Just look at the wound. It's pretty obvious."

Connor, still holding onto Cordelia's arm, looked at the wound for a moment. "It does look…. Different."

"Another mark against you, Cordy. Connor, please lock her in her room."

Connor nodded and led a protesting Cordelia off.

* * *

Buffy walked downstairs into the lobby where Gunn and Fred were bringing spices to Lorne. Lorne was at the front desk on the phone. Buffy had checked on Connor before coming down. He was diligently standing guard in front of Cordelia's door. Before leaving Angel's room, Buffy had debated on calling Willow in. She'd decided against it, wanting to capture Angelus and bring him back to his cage first.

"Cloves?" Lorne was saying. "That'll work? Oh, got it. Beautiful. Hey, soon as FTD's delivering in the city again, expect a big 'Thanks a Bunch' bouquet from me, girls. Ciao!" He hung up.

"Sounds like you've got your home security spell." Buffy said.

"Right you are, missy. As soon as we sprinkle burnt clove dust around the perimeter, light a few candles, incant a few choice phrases, we'll be safe as houses in here."

"Good." She set down her weapons' bag and inspected the sparse contents as Lorne and Fred started setting up the spell. "You guys mind if I take a couple of things from your stash? I didn't expect to be needing anything major."

"Go ahead." Gunn said.

"Thanks." She took a couple of swords and a smaller crossbow, grabbing the silver tipped bolts made of hard, carbon fiber instead of wood.

Fred lit white candles as Lorne began to read off the incantation. "Violence restrained, demons disarmed. For mortals within these walls, no harm. Protection and safety this charm doth endow to make this shelter a sanctuary now."

Buffy and Gunn exchanged looks. "That it?" He asked.

"Well, if we followed the recipe…. Should be cake. A demon violence-free zone cake."

"I don't know, Lorne." Fred said. "It doesn't feel like anything's different."

"Well, only one way to find out." Buffy said. "Lorne, I give you permission to hit me."

"Are you sure?" Lorne asked. Buffy shrugged and waited. Lorne walked over to her, braced himself, and sent his fist towards her face. A bright forcefield appeared and sent Lorne skidding back across the floor. "Ahh! It works." Fred helped Lorne to his feet. "Oh. It also smarts like the dickens."

Wesley walked into the lobby from the basement. "Sanctuary spell's working?"

"Yeah, like a charm. Literally."

"Good."

"It'll make this easier." Buffy said, tossing Wesley the tranq gun.

"Make what easier?" Gunn asked.

"Bringing Angelus in alive."

"I still don't see how that's the smartest option."

"Look, I've got an apocalypse back home I've got to get back to before it decides to open the Hellmouth and end life as we know it. There's still the Beast that no one knows how to kill. We've all accepted by now that it's working for something worse, but we don't know exactly what. Might be connected with my apocalypse, might not be. Either way, both teams need their champions. We have to save Angel." Buffy turned to Wesley. "You're with me. Gunn, you're staying here. Switch with Connnor in a few hours to keep watch over Cordelia. Feel free to use violence to restrain her."

"Damn." Gunn said. "You really think it'll be necessary?"

"I don't know. These days, I'm prepared for anything." She hefted her bag and looked at Wesley. "Ready?"

* * *

Wesley and Buffy walked side by side, keeping their eyes peeled. They'd taken out plenty of random vamps in the three hours they'd been out looking for Angelus. The place was a playground for the undead and the demonic.

"It's too bad Caritas isn't open." Wesley lamented. "We could've gotten some information out of something."

Buffy shrugged. "Caritas can't be the only demon bar around, right? We could always hit up one of them and start asking around. Or," She stopped at a chain link fence. "We follow my Slayer instincts."

"Have you been following them all along?"

"Little bit. I spent time getting more in touch with my Slayer side so those instincts are a little more honed than they used to be." They both moved through a hole in the fence and walked into an old industrial facility. She shook her head at their surroundings. "Seems about right."

"What does?"

"The first time I faced Angelus he was living in an old warehouse with Spike and Drusilla."

"Do you think he's here?"

They rounded a corner of one of the warehouses and saw a big sign painted in what smelled like blood, 'HELLO LOVER'. Buffy looked at Wesley with a grim smirk. "I'm thinking yes."

"So much for the element of surprise."

"I had no chance at a surprise. He always knew I was coming for him." She sighed and handed Wesley her weapon's bag, taking a sword for herself. "Our best bet is probably to come at him from two sides. I would suggest you use tranq darts or the silver crossbow bolts. Stay low. I'll go high." She started to move off, but turned and gripped Wesley's arms. "Hey, be careful, ok?"

He smiled gratefully at her. "You too."

Buffy hefted her sword and took off, jumping on some large dumpsters and then up to the roof. There was an open window large enough for her to climb through, so she headed for it and wiggled through. There were some crates just below the window and she dropped down silently on top of them.

"Kinda like old times, isn't it?" Angelus asked from the shadows.

"Not really." She replied.

"How so?"

"You were trying to kill me back then. Now you want to screw me three ways from Sunday."

"Is that a bad thing?"

She decided not to answer. Honestly, she wasn't sure which was worse. Instead she said, "You weren't keen on playing hide and seek last time either."

"I'm just waiting for you to come to me. You're getting warmer. Warmer…. warmer. You're smoking hot." Buffy turned to see him standing there in his signature leather pants and silk shirt with Angel's long duster on. "But then again, you probably knew that. Did you like my sign?"

"Are you going to make this easy or hard?"

"Well, you know me." His eyes moved behind Buffy. "Never one for the easy road."

Buffy turned to find the Beast standing behind her. "What is this, Angelus?" It demanded.

"This is a Slayer. Say 'hi' to the nice Beast, Buff. This is the first time you're actually meeting him."

"You dare to bring a Slayer here?"

"Not just any Slayer, Stonehenge. This is _the_ Slayer. The one that messes up everyone's plans on a regular basis. I'm pretty sure right now that includes you and your boss's plans. So, question is, what do you do, hot shot? Hmm? What do you do?"

Buffy decided Angelus was the least dangerous one of the two bad guys, so she rounded on the Beast and aimed her sword for its throat where Angel had stabbed it in the fantasy. The sword's tip just broke off, leaving a jagged edge. "This is going to suck." She muttered to herself, dropping the sword to the ground. She put her all into hitting the thing, but it only broke the skin on her knuckles and broke one of her fingers.

"Watch yourself, big guy, the girl's on fire." Angelus said.

Finally the Beast got tired of Buffy's ineffective punches and lashed out, sending Buffy flying. She hit a crate and the thing splintered around her.

"That's gonna sting in the morning." Angelus said.

"The running commentary isn't necessary." Buffy growled at him, getting to her feet.

The Beast decided not to give her a chance to fight back. As soon as she attacked, he was on her. She felt the bruises form on top of the almost healed bruises from the Turok-Han. She felt her skin break in multiple places and the blood begin to flow. She felt a couple of her ribs break as the thing picked her up over its head and slammed her to the floor at Angelus' feet.

He knelt down next to her. "Come on, Buff. You're not even trying." She felt him press something into her hand and her fingers gripped the hilt of a weirdly shaped dagger.

The Beast moved towards her as Angelus backed away. "This is all you are?" It said. "I had heard the Slayer possessed great strength, but there's no real power here. My master's power is beyond all limits, beyond your petty imagining. You are weak. You're nothing. You could not even defeat me." It reached down and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her off the ground.

"Ain't that the truth." Angelus said. "I mean, look at this guy, huh? Pretty much the only thing that could do damage to that thick, stony hide is himself. Or, maybe, I don't know, a piece of himself."

Buffy realized the dagger he'd given her was the weapon to kill the Beast. With spots starting to form in her vision, she brought her arm up and shoved the dagger into the Beast's neck. Angelus grabbed her around the waist and pulled her out of the Beast's grip. They rolled and she landed underneath him as the Beast began to thrash at the dagger. The wound began to glow around the dagger until the light consumed the Beast and suddenly shot up from its body toward the sky.

"I knew it!" Angelus cried.

Buffy groaned and pushed him off of her. She hurt everywhere, blood was seeping out of numerous wounds, and her broken ribs throbbed. Angelus stood up and glared at the crumbled remains of the Beast.

"Aw, crap!" He said, looking at the hole in the roof where the sun was streaming in. "You mean, killing the Beast really does bring back the sun? I thought that was Angel's retarded fantasy. Oh, well, what're you gonna do? Take the bad with the good, I always say." He turned back to her. "Are you ok?"

She rolled on her side and coughed up some blood. "Why did you help me?"

"Can't very well make you mine if you're dead. Didn't really intend to let the Beastie boy here soften you up this much, though. Are you sure you're not losing your touch?" He knelt down and swiped his thumb tenderly across her forehead, wiping off some of the blood under one of the wounds on her forehead. "You should probably get yourself checked out."

"Stop being nice to me."

"Why? You don't like it?" His hand drifted down her neck, trailing fingers heading for her chest. She knew she didn't have the strength to fight him off just then. And his fingers felt too much like Angel's gentle touch. She suddenly reached out and grabbed her broken sword, throwing it behind her with what strength she could. The large window behind her broke and glass rained down. The sun streamed in and washed over Buffy and Angelus. He growled and darted away as Buffy sat in the sunlight and glared at him. He glared back for a moment before he started to laugh. "That was a bit dramatic, lover."

"Get bent." She growled at him.

He sighed. "You'll come around eventually. I guess we'll just have to take a rain check on that whole making you mine thing." He blew her a kiss. "Catch you later."

Buffy watched him leave before she let herself collapse to the ground. That's how Wesley found her. "Good lord!" He cried. "Buffy!" He ran over to her.

"Looks better than it feels." She groaned, keeping her eyes closed.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?"

She contemplated it for a long moment, but decided against it. "Nah. They're probably full up with vampire and demon attacks. Just take me back to the hotel."

"Buffy, I don't think you quite understand the severity. There might be internal bleeding."

"I can say without a doubt that there's definitely internal bleeding, but that hasn't stopped me before." She lifted her hand and Wesley gripped it. She groaned and tried not to cry out in pain as he helped her to her feet. Angelus might still be within ear shot and she wasn't giving him the satisfaction.

Wesley didn't miss the look of pain on her face. "I may not be your Watcher anymore, but I think I know when a Slayer…. Even one as extraordinary as yourself…. Needs medical attention."

"Good thing Watchers are trained in that stuff." She gave him a slight grin as he helped her limp out of the warehouse.


	5. Release

Wesley helped Buffy through the doors of the Hyperion. Fred, Lorne, and Connor were in the lobby. Gunn was on Cordy duty. They all looked up and gasped at the sight walking down the steps. In the time it had taken them to walk the few miles back, Buffy's wounds had begun to settle. Her bruises were darker and her broken bones were throbbing. Wesley had set her finger and wrapped it as best he could with part of his torn shirt. Her blonde hair was matted with dried blood.

"Oh my god!" Lorne and Fred cried as they rushed to help Wesley ease Buffy down onto the settee.

"Did Angelus do this?" Connor asked.

"No." Buffy croaked. "The Beast did this."

"And you killed it?"

"How?" Fred asked.  
"I'm not up to much story telling." Buffy said. "I need a shower."

"A shower?" Lorne said. "You need a doctor."

"No time. Wes…."

"I'll get the first aid kit ready." Wesley looked at Connor. "Take her up to Angel's room."

"It's ok." Buffy struggled to her feet. "I'll manage."

Connor shook his head and lifted Buffy in his arms. She started to protest, but he just ignored her and walked up the stairs. He was so much like Angel and he didn't even realize it. She sighed and let him take her upstairs. He made her sit on the bed while he got towels to put in the bathroom and made sure the shower water was hot enough for her.

"Has Cordelia said anything?" Buffy asked before he left.

"I checked on her." Connor said. He seemed like he wanted to add something to it, but instead he said, "She's mad at us." He headed for the door.  
Just before he walked out, Buffy stopped him. "Connor…. Look, I know that you have issues with your dad and I get it, but I want you to know that he's a good man. He loves you. You should give him a chance when he's himself again. I think you'll find that you two have a lot in common."

He didn't say anything for a long moment, just stared at her. She offered him a small smile and he finally gave her one back. He nodded slightly, acknowledging her words and then walking out of the room. She really hoped she could get through to him about his dad.

With a sigh, she began the struggle to get into the bathroom, out of her dirty and torn clothes, and under the hot water. It stung as it hit her open wounds. She watched the blood flow down the drain in swirls of red and pink. She dreaded using the soap, but it was necessary. Biting her lip against the pain, she began to wash the blood and grime off of her.

Wesley was waiting for her when she was finished. She stayed wrapped in a towel and gritted her teeth as he poured hydrogen peroxide on the worst of her wounds. He bandaged them up tightly and then left the room. Buffy laid down on the bed and curled up, closing her eyes tightly.

"Is this the great Buffy the Vampire Slayer giving up?" Angel asked from the side of the bed. Buffy sat up and looked at him in shock. "Don't tell me that after all we've been through, _this_ is what makes you give up."

She realized with a shock that this wasn't Angel, but the First. "You're not him."

"You'd like me to be, wouldn't you?"

"I'd like you to go away."

"I'm always here. You can't really get rid of me."

"Wanna bet?" Buffy stood up, ignoring the pain of her broken ribs. "I'm going to put you down just like all the others. Starting with whatever game you're playing here in LA."

"Who says I'm playing a game here?"

"You said yourself that you've got your fingers in all the evil pies. This one is no different. I'll bring Angel back and then we'll stop you once and for all."

The sound of Angel's laughter echoed in the room as she turned her back on the First. She grabbed some fresh clothes out of her bag and dressed quickly. As she rounded the corner to the stairs, Connor came flying back towards her. She sidestepped quickly before he hit her and was suddenly standing face to face with Angelus.

"Hello, lover." He said with a grin.

She launched herself at him, but he ripped off a wall sconce and threw it at her head. She dodged out of the way, but he used the distraction to jump off the balcony and down into the lobby. Fred backpeddled out of the way as Angelus headed for the doors. Buffy jumped down the stairs, ignoring the sharp pain in her broken ribs, and ran after him. She stopped dead when she saw Angelus holding Wesley by the neck.

"Sucky spell, huh? You think it'd at least go to the sidewalk." Angelus taunted.

"Let him go. This is between you and me."

"When are you going to learn, Buff? It's never just between you and me. It could be, but you just keep saying no." Buffy made a move towards them and Angelus tightened his grip on Wesley's throat. "Do the math. Can you get to me before I snap his neck? Wes is just dying to find out, aren't you, Wes?"

"Do it." Wesley choked out.

"That's it. Come on. Do it. Take your best shot and save the world. I know it's your favorite thing. What're you waiting for? Oh, let me guess, you're worried about the consequences." Angelus looked at Wesley. "Don't worry about good old Wes. What's one more body? Come on, where's my girl?"

"Buffy!" Gunn ran through the doors and threw a tranq gun at her before pointing his own gun at Angelus. Angelus pushed Wesley forward into Buffy, knocking her off balance. Gunn fired, but missed as Angelus ran away and Buffy worked to untangle herself from Wesley.

"Go!" Wesley cried.

"He's gone." Gunn said as he helped Buffy to her feet.

* * *

Lorne, who had been hit with a tranq dart, was sleeping it off on the couch in the corner of the lobby. Buffy sat on the settee listening to everyone as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Wesley was staring into the weapon's cabinet while Gunn and Fred talked behind the front desk.

"All I'm saying is, he tries dancing in here and pulling a Dark Shadows again, he's gonna get a dart up his evil ass." Gunn said.

"Well, his ass moves pretty quick. He got the book and the Wolfram and Hart papers." Fred said.

"Not your fault."

"Bet they think it was."

"Like they were any help."

"Super girl wouldn't have fallen for a cheap hunk of crap like this."

"I'm just glad it was. If anything happened to you…."

"Charles, can we maybe…."

Wes cocked a shotgun and Buffy's eyes flew open. "Just what do you think that you're you doing with that thing?"

"Changing the game." Wesley said.

"I was pretty crystal clear on the fact that we're not killing Angelus."

"We're not, but if we get another chance, I want slow him down long enough to tranq him."

"By blowing his legs off?" Fred asked.

"You want some help with that?" Gunn asked.

"Hey, peanut gallery, be quiet." Buffy snapped. Gunn glared at her, but she ignored him. "Fred, I don't think anything was your fault." Fred blushed, embarrassed that Buffy had heard her. "Angelus is cunning. He's gotten me with some stupid crap, too. And Gunn, you weren't a lot of help either. You're just a human with a gun. What did you think you could actually accomplish against Angelus? And while you people have been talking amongst yourselves, I've been concentrating on healing as much as I can so I can go out and face the demon that wears the face of the man I love." She stood up, heading to the weapons cabinet to stock up. She stopped and looked at Connor standing at the top of the stairs. He looked startled that she had caught him. "Are you ok?" He nodded. "Good. Gunn, you're now on Cordy duty. Connor, you're down here playing guard dog. I trust you and your muscles to keep everyone safe."

"Trust _him_!?" Gunn yelped.

Connor, his chest slightly puffed out, came down the stairs. "At least someone does."

Gunn ignored him. "Do you have any idea what he's put us all through?"

"You know what? I don't care. He's here. He's willing to help. Angel loves him. That's all I need to know."

"I'll keep them safe, Buffy." Connor said to her.

"Thank you, Connor." She looked at Wesley. "I'm making a phone call and then we're leaving." Buffy went into Angel's office and shut the doors. She could hear Wesley telling the others that Buffy knew what she was doing and that they just needed to follow her directions. She ignored the rest and picked up the phone.

"How's it going?" Willow asked.

"Not great." Buffy replied. "I need you up here, Will. I'm going after him and I'm bringing him back tonight."

"I've already got my supplies ready to go. I'll see you soon."

Buffy smiled as Willow hung up. She took a deep breath, allowed herself one moment to feel all the pain and sorrow churning in her mind and body, then let it go. She stood up and walked out into the lobby purposefully, pointing at Wesley. "No blowing his legs off. He'll need them when he's Angel again." Wesley followed her out. "Our best bet is to start with a perimeter sweep. He's probably not still in the area, but I just want to be sure."

"And then what? You'll let him escape again?" Wesley asked. Buffy cocked an eyebrow at him. "Angelus was right. You should have gone for him."

She rolled her eyes. "He would have killed you."

"And how many will he have the chance to murder now because you let that make a difference? How many people were murdered in Sunnydale the last time he was released because you couldn't bring yourself to kill him? Angelus is an animal. The only way to defeat him is to be just as vicious as he is."

Buffy spun around and glared up at Wesley. "Don't talk to me like you're still some know-it-all Watcher who, by the way, doesn't actually know a thing. You've never fought him. You don't know what it's like to see the one person you love more than anything in the world come after you and your friends night after night, knowing that your hesitation is putting so many lives in danger, and not having the mental strength to stop him. And you definitely don't know what it takes to defeat him. But if you want to throw some blame around, why don't you start with yourself? _You_ brought that shaman into Angel's life. It was _your_ idea to release Angelus. This is as much on your head as it is on mine."

* * *

Buffy knew she was taking her anger and frustration out on the demon as she bashed its head into the bar, but she just couldn't bring herself to care about it at the moment. They had followed a few trails with the potential of leading to Angelus. The last trail had led them to this particular demon bar near the docks. Upon arriving, Buffy's clout as _the_ Slayer led them straight over to a demon Angelus had been talking to earlier in the night.

"Come on! I bruise easy." The demon whined.

"I can't wait to see what colors you'll turn when I'm done with you." Buffy said, smashing its head into the bar again.

A vampire tried to attack Wesley, but Wesley just aimed his shotgun at the thing's face. "Let's not, shall we?" He said.

The vampire smiled brightly and put his hands up in surrender. "It's cool, dude. No worries."

"I don't remember anything. I was drunk. I thought she was 18." The demon being held down by Buffy said.

"You'd better hope I don't do the math on that statement." She hit the demon's head on the bar again.

"Break his head open. See if there's any candy." A vampire said somewhere behind her.

"Hey, what do I look like, a piñata?" The demon asked.

"Let's find out."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Ease off the contusion. What do you want to know?"

"Simple: Where's Angelus?"

"Who?"

Buffy slammed its head on the bar again, a little harder this time. "Look, we've been in and out of crappy bars all night breathing stale beer and even staler blood half the night. It's led us to you and if you can't tell, I'm not in a good mood. You need to tell us what you know."

"Look, I'm telling ya, I don't know nothing. On my mother's tumor. And even if I did, I'd never yak to a couple of fleshbags that are about to get their internal organs sucked out of their…"

Wesley shot the demon in the face that had been sneaking up on them. Buffy was impressed that he had sensed it coming. "Strom demon." He said. "Face should grow back." He cocked the shotgun. "Eventually."

"Will yours?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, _that_ Angelus." The demon cried. "Yeah, in here all the time running his mouth. 'Look at me, I'm so evil.' Real jackass. Never liked him. I'm on your side."

Buffy hit the demon's head against the bar again for good measure. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. I swear. He was in here earlier giving us the blah blah blah, and then he started mumbling to himself like a big pretty freak, and then…. He slipped into the back."

"Where?"

The demon pointed to the back room and Buffy released him. She shot him a warning glare before heading to the back room. They walked through a beaded curtain to find drugged-out people and vampires laying around.

"This looks like that vampire brothel my ex went to behind my back." Buffy said, looking around in disgust. A vampire appeared, pupils dilated and eyes glassy, and lunged at them. Buffy easily staked him and shook her head. "Why here?"

"What do you mean?" Wesley asked.

"This isn't Angelus' usual type of hangout. Why did he come here?"

"Maybe he was led here."

"By the First?"

Wesley shrugged. "Perhaps. Or by the Beast's master."

Buffy went over to a woman lying on the ground in the middle of a trip. She knelt down and the girl's eyes opened. "Hey, you're pretty. You wanna make out?"

With a sigh, Buffy hauled the woman up by her collar and pushed her against the wall. "There was a vampire in here earlier. Tall, dark hair…." The girl's eyes drifted and Buffy punched her. "Listen!"

"Ok! God! What's your issue?"

"Tall, dark hair, talking to himself…."

"Let go."

Buffy punched her again. "Did you see him?"

"No, I didn't." The woman began to cry. "Stop it, you're hurting me!"

"I can do a lot worse if you don't start talking." Buffy pulled out a knife from her the holster on her back. She pushed the knife into the woman's shoulder just under her collarbone about an inch in. The woman gasped in pain, but Buffy slid the knife in another inch. "The tracks on your arms tell me that you've been here at least two or three days straight? Am I right?"

"Yeah, god, stop! Yes four! Four days!"

"Then you've seen the vampire we're looking for."

"Angelus, I saw him. He, uh….

"Where is he?"

"I don't know." Buffy pushed the knife in another inch. "I don't know! Please stop!"

"They said he was talking to himself. What was he saying?"

"I don't know. It wa…. It was like he was talking to someone else. It was all rain of fire a-and pulling strings and a soul. That's all I heard. Please stop. It hurts."

Buffy pulled the knife out of the woman and let her drop. She turned to Wesley. "So, the Beast's master is talking with Angelus."

"So it seems." She reached down and took two of the syringes from the woman's stash. "What are you doing?"

"This stuff drugs vampires, too?"

"Yes. They shoot up, the vampires feed, use them like a filter. I've read the effects can be quite intoxicating…. for both of them"

"Then I think I know how to capture Angelus."

"Buffy, that stuff is dangerous."

"Dangerous comes with the territory of Slayer." She looked at the syringes and sighed, stuffing them into her coat pocket. "He'll never see it coming." Buffy headed out and Wesley followed her back out into the cool night air. They were headed back to his car when she stopped them. "Wes…. I think Cordelia is the Beast's master."

"Why do you think that?"

"She's not acting like Cordelia. At least not the Cordelia I know and was keeping up with until she disappeared into the great beyond. Whatever happened to her up there or on the way back, she's not Cordelia. Sleeping with Angel's kid, letting Angelus out of that cage, the way she's reacting to me being here, trying to undermine everything I say or do…. None of it adds up to the Cordelia I know. Tell me you've seen this."

"Her behavior has been a bit…. Odd, but…."

"You just chalked it up to trauma from coming back? I get it. I wasn't exactly sane and rational after I was brought back, either, but I didn't turn around and sleep with my potential boyfriend's teenage son. Cordelia wouldn't either. Nothing could ever completely alter her personality like it has been. Mentally, she's definitely stronger than I am. Don't ever tell her I said that."

"I'll take your concerns into consideration."

"Thank you."

Wesley's phone started ringing and he pulled it out of his pocket.

* * *

Buffy followed Wesley into a dimly lit and under-construction building. The place had once been beautiful with its columns and archways. Wesley had his shotgun at the ready while Buffy just stayed on high alert. She smelled blood and it wasn't very fresh. Or human.

"I don't think this Maury guy will be able to help us find Angelus." Buffy said.

"Why?" Wesley asked.

"Because he's dead." They rounded a corner and sure enough, they found a demon lying dead on the floor. Blood was seeping from his body onto the papers that were scattered all over the ground.

"Hello lover." A smooth purr said behind them. Buffy and Wesley turned to find Angelus standing there. "A little birdie in my head told me you'd be here. Ooh. Exciting."

Buffy looked at Wesley. "Lends credit to my theory."

"I suppose it does."

Angelus looked annoyed that they weren't phased by his sudden appearance. Buffy shrugged at him and brought her arm up suddenly, holding a tranq gun. She shot it, but he just barely managed to dodge out of the lashed out and kicked her in the stomach, sending her skidding back into a column. She hit the floor and saw one of the syringes fall out of her pocket. Grabbing it, she made the quick decision to shove the needle into her side.

Wesley cocked his shotgun and fired a round at Angelus, but the vampire ducked. "Gotta do better than that, Wes." Wesley shot again and missed again. "Come on, I'll give you one more." He raised the shotgun into Angelus's face, but Angelus grabbed the barrel as Wesley pulled the trigger, directing the buckshot away and just barely missing Buffy as she popped to her feet. "Strike three." He threw Wesley through a nearby glass barricade on a ledge and the ex-Watcher fell 20 feet down. "Uh-oh." Angelus turned to Buffy. "Vampire with a gun." He took a shot at her, but she dove out of the way. "I can see why he likes this thing." He shot again and Buffy ended up throwing herself down a flight of stairs. She landed painfully at the bottom. When she finally managed to roll over and sit up, Angelus was there with the gun in her face. "This feels familiar."

"Nothing I remember." Buffy gritted out. Her broken ribs were throbbing and the drugs were starting to make their presence in her bloodstream known.

"Oh come on! The last time we danced together. You were alone then, too. I had a weapon pointed at your face just like I do now."

"Right." She struggled to her feet and stood in front of him. "That dance ended with you in hell."

"Again," Angelus tossed the gun away. "Not me you sent to hell. What do you say we finish that dance?"

"You know if I win this, you end up with a soul again, right?"

"And if I win…."

"I'm yours."

"Forever." Buffy shrugged. Angelus grinned. "This is going to be fun."

Buffy rolled her eyes and took the first punch. He laughed and they began their brutal ballet. Her head swam with every blow, but she fought the dizziness as hard as she fought Angelus.

"A little tired, sweetie?" He taunted. "You wanna take a break?"

"Not until you're shoved back in your box." Buffy kicked out, but he caught her foot and flipped her onto her back. She rolled to avoid him stomping on her, but he managed to kick her in the head. She rolled a few feet before stopping to spit the blood out of her mouth. "Now, this is disappointing. You never used to bleed so easy."

"Do you ever get tired of the sound of your own voice?"

"Not really." She got to her feet again, sliding the knife hidden in the arm of her coat into her hand. "You'll just have to get used to it, I guess."

Buffy threw the knife and embedded it into his chest. Before he could react, she moved into action and ripped it back out. He tried to block her punches, but she was too fast. He finally managed to get in a good kick to her stomach to knock her back. Using the moment of relief in her attack, he jumped up into the scaffolding.

"That hurt, baby. Kinda liked it." She looked up to try and find him, but he was moving fast in the shadows. "How about you?"

"It didn't suck for me."

"There's my girl."

Buffy heard him drop down behind her, barely making a sound, and she turned and lashed out at him. He caught her wrist and punched her, knocking the knife out of her hand. They traded blows, finding they were pretty evenly matched. Buffy needed a breather, so she jumped up into the scaffolding. She got all of three seconds before Angelus jumped up after her.

She dodged around him and swung to the outside of the scaffolding. He kept trying to punch her, but she expertly swung away. She couldn't stop the giggle that left her lips and knew the drugs were really hitting hard. Unfortunately, he took advantage of her distraction and connected a punch to her chest, sending her to the scaffolding across the room. He jumped after her, but she was already up and moving.

"I fought a hell-god on some scaffolding once." Buffy said, fending him off. She leapt from one level to another, but he managed to catch up to her and throw her to the ground before jumping down beside her.

"You seem a little chipper about this."

"Do I?" She laughed as she got to her feet. "Probably. I've been stuck with a house full of annoying, knit-picky teenage girls. This is the most fun I've had since I shared a sex hallucination dream thing with you!"

Angelus cocked his head. "Haven't seen this side of you before, Buff."

"Why aren't you fighting?"

"You were giggling at it." She studied him for a long moment. The drugs were really beginning to affect her brain. "What is wrong with you?"

"Did you miss the part where this is my version of fun?" He narrowed his eyes at her, but she stepped closer to him and shook her head. "Nothing makes sense anymore!"

"What are you babbling about?"

"I got yanked out of _heaven_ by my _friends_ and stuck back in this crappy world that I save over and over and over and I get absolutely no thanks for any of it. The only thing I do get is stuck with a bunch of wannabe-Slayers who question my every move and _never stop eating my food_! My friends always look to me to tell them what to do and I end up giving these long winded, pick-me-up speeches that do nothing in the long run because I always end up right back where I started. Which is them looking at me to tell them what to do. And did I mention how judgmental they are? It's _constant_ judging with them! Especially Xander. I am _tired_! And I am done." She grabbed his head and pulled him to her, crushing their lips together in a fiery kiss.

His arms wrapped automatically around her waist and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him and he pressed her against a nearby column. He pushed his hands up inside her shirt and scratched at the skin on her ribs. She bit down on his neck and he growled, vamping.

"Welcome to the dark side, baby." He said as she bared her neck for him. With a victorious grin on his face, he sunk his teeth down into the mark on her neck.


	6. Orpheus

Angelus' fangs sunk into the scar on her neck, teeth lining up perfectly, and he began to feed greedily from Buffy. She groaned in pleasure and urged him on, but he suddenly dropped her. Buffy crumpled to the ground, feeling dazed, broken, and high. Her neck hurt and she knew he'd managed to take a fair amount of the blood left in her that hadn't already bled out of her other wounds.

He wiped his mouth as he stumbled back away from her. "What…. did you do?"

"Knew you'd fall for it." Buffy slurred.

Angelus tried to stay standing as he said, "You…. you sp…. You spiked…." He fell over and passed out next to her.

Wesley fell down to the ground behind Buffy and she turned to look at him. "You all right?" He asked her.

Instead of answering, Buffy just passed out on top of Angelus.

* * *

Fred was sitting at the front desk doing research. The place was quiet since Gunn had left the hotel. Connor was back on Cordelia duty. Willow had called the hotel to let them know she was on her way from Sunnydale. Suddenly, Gunn walked in through the front doors carrying a passed-out Angelus.

"Connor!" He yelled.

"Oh, my God! Angelus." Fred squeaked.

"Pick up your tranq gun. I don't know how much time we have. Connor!"

"What happened?" Fred came around the desk and handed him the tranq gun.

"Wes called, I went."

"Where is he? Where's Buffy?"

Lorne walked into the lobby from Angel's office. "Well, what is all the…. Aah! Angelus! He's in the hotel."

"Gimme steel shackles," Gunn said.

"Oh, uh, but maybe we're already aware of that."

"All I had was rope in the truck."

Connor appeared on the balcony. "What's going on?"

"Get down here now." Gunn looked at Fred. "Leg irons too."

Connor ran down the stairs. "She found him."

"Wesley and Buffy." Lorne said. "Where are they?"

Wesley walked in carrying an unconscious Buffy in his arms. "Get him downstairs."

"What happened to Buffy?" Connor asked, rushing over to her.

"She captured Angelus."

"God, what did he do to her?" Fred asked.

"Gunn?" Wesley asked.

"We got it." Gunn said, taking the shackles from Fred.

"She looks not well." Lorne said, pushing his way up towards Buffy.

"She's gonna be…." Connor said, moving Buffy's hair away from her face.

"Wake up, kid. I need you here." Gunn snapped at Connor.

"Help me with her."

Fred led the way up to Angel's room with Wesley holding Buffy and Lorne holding a towel to her bleeding neck. Wesley gently laid her on Angel's bed while Fred got a bowl of hot water and a washcloth. Lorne got a look at the very clear injection mark near Buffy's hip. He turned to glare at Wesley, but the ex-Watcher just stared straight ahead.

Fred came in with the bowl of water and sat down beside Buffy. Fred removed the towel from Buffy's neck and was slightly taken aback at the wound.

"He's bitten her before." Wesley said. "The scar makes it look worse than it is."

Buffy's head twitched and she muttered something about being shoved in a box. "She's not making any sense." Fred said.

Lorne pulled Wesley aside. "And speaking of sense, have you gone on permanent sabbatical from yours? Tell me you did not shoot Angel's greatest love full of junk and then feed her to him."

"It was her choice. Buffy knew what she was doing."

"She couldn't have! Wesley, I know what that drug does to people. Especially when they super-size the doses to make sure they really get the job done. And you damn well know it too."

Connor came rushing into the room a few minutes later. "Buffy…."

"She's completely out of it." Fred said.

"What's going to happen to her?"

Fred looked at Wesley as he sat with an ice pack to his head. "Actually, I'd like to start with what exactly was it, Wesley?"

"Orpheus." Lorne said.

"Orpheus?" Connor asked.

"Some kind of opiate?" Fred asked.

"Mystical variety." Lorne confirmed. "Humans inject it. Vampires feed off the humans. Folks tried to deal it at Caritas…. Only folks I ever banned from my club."

Buffy muttered something again and Connor sat down beside her, holding her hand. "So, if ordinary humans do this junk, Slayers are all super, right?" Fred asked, glancing at Connor.

"That's what makes it so dangerous. Orpheus isn't entirely physical. It's an enchanted drug."

"Magic. This is what it gets you."

"That, plus the biting, makes for some serious psychic psychedelia. And the more you take, the deeper you sink."  
"It leads you down to hell…. And leaves you there."

* * *

A ship pulled into the harbor of Ellis Island. Buffy looked around in confusion as the huddled masses of men, women, and children poured off the ship and onto the docks around her. She turned to see a long-haired Angel walk through the crowd. It seemed to part for him as he made his way towards her.

"Angel?" Buffy asked.

"Hey!" Angelus was suddenly standing beside her as Angel walked right through him. "What is that about?"

"You tell me." She said, looking up at him. "I believe this is your flashback, cause it sure isn't mine."

Angelus tried to tackle her, but he just went right through her. She laughed at him, which made him growl and turn on her. "All right, Miss Blow-It-All. If this is my flashback. Why are you in it?"

"I think it's the magical side-effects of my little bait and switch back there."

He shook his head. "I'm almost sad, Buff. I really thought we'd had a breakthrough. I enjoyed feeling your tight little body on mine."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…. It was all a ruse, though."

"I'm actually impressed." He shrugged dramatically. "All right, so what is this, huh? Puff-the-Magic-Dragon City? Fairyland?"

"It kind of looks more along the lines of the plot of your very own 'A Christmas Carol.'" She turned and walked after Angel with Angelus following beside her.

He groaned loudly at Angel's appearance. "The whole way over here, he crouched in the filth of animals just to avoid human temptation. This isn't my life…. It's his! It annoyed the crap out of me the first time around. This sucks!" He rounded on her. "Why do you get to be Marley's ghost?"

"I'm dying maybe? Someone got greedy and took a huge amount of blood in a short time span."

"Hey, I was planning to give some back."

She shrugged. "Well, it's not the first time I've been headed out the door. Or the second. Probably won't be the last with my track record. Either way, I guess I'm baby-sitting you until Willow gets to the Hyperion and shoves a soul up your…."

"Not gonna happen."

"Oh, it will. She's already on her way."

As they followed Angel away from the docks, they ended up walking into a different era. Jazz music was playing and seriously old-timey cars were driving through the streets. Buffy looked up to see a sign that said they were standing outside of the Blue Mood Lounge. A small group nearby was playing a game of dice on the street. A couple walked down the sidewalk hand in hand wearing some fancy clothing.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto." Buffy quipped as they walked along side by side.

"Early 20's by the cars." Angelus said. "What is this…. Chicago?" They spotted Angel sitting on a bench on the other side of the street. "Oh, no. I remember this. I remember this place. I gotta get out of here."

"Why are you freaking out?"

"It's coming." A car sped around the corner down the street in front of them. "Again."

"What's coming?"

"I can't do it again. I won't!"

Angel suddenly ran into the street and dove right in front of the car. "Angel!" Buffy yelled. Angel kept running until he was completely across the street. She heard a squeaking sound coming from his arms and he turned around to reveal that he was holding a tiny Pomeranian puppy.

Angelus began throwing a fit next to her and Buffy laughed at him. "You're seriously pitching a toddler worthy tantrum because Angel just rescued a puppy?"

A woman ran up to Angel and took the puppy out of his arms. "Oh, my stars! You saved her, Mister." Angel just stared at the woman.

"I'm in hell." Angelus said. "This is hell, and I'm in it."

"Oh, gee, big fella. How can I thank you?"

"We haven't fed on a human in decades. She's begging for it, you moron!"

"Get lost." Angel snapped at the woman.

"Beg pardon?" She asked.

"Take a hike, Betty. Scram."

"Well, pound snow, you mook!" The woman stormed back into the club with her dog.

"Oh!" Buffy began laughing again. "Oh, you're definitely in hell if we're reliving Angel's good deeds."

"Shut up." He growled at her.

* * *

"There's only one thing we can do for Buffy, now." Wesley said. He, Fred, and Connor were in the lobby. Gunn was keeping watch over Angelus and Lorne was upstairs with Buffy. "Finish what she started."

"You mean, re-ensoul Angel?" Fred asked.

"Impossible." Connor said. "We've been over this: no jar, no soul. No soul, no Angel."

"It's not that simple, Connor. I've been doing some research…."

"It is simple. Angelus is all that's left. First he slaughtered Lilah, now he's killed Buffy!"

"She's not dead yet." Wesley countered.

"You're lying to yourselves. You all think that I'm taking this personally so that you don't have to, but inside you know I'm right. We need to put Angelus down."

Just then, Willow walked into the lobby through the front doors. "No we don't. You just need a witch."

"Willow." Wesley said, standing up and walking towards her.

"She's a witch?" Connor asked.

"Yes. Hi. You must be Angel's handsome, yet androgynous, son.

"It's Connor."

"Buffy's right! The sneer's genetic."

"Hi Willow." Fred said.

"Hey Fred. It's good to meet you. Oh, and it's the Marlboro Man. Or at least his extra stubbly, mentally unstable, insomniac, first cousin of…. For the love of Hecate, somebody stop me."

"It's ok. I'm a yammerer from way back."

"Are there forces gathering?" Wesley asked. "Did the call of magic draw you here?"

"Oh, no. More like the call of Buffy."

"Of course. Bring in the only living person to ever re-ensoul Angel."

"So, Buffy's been keeping me up to date on everything. Where is she?"

"She's…. Upstairs." Fred said.

"Angelus killed her." Connor said.  
"She's not dead!" Wesley snapped. "She's just…. In a coma from a drug she used to capture Angelus."

Willow's face darkened. "What kind of drug?" Wesley explained what Orpheus was as he led the red headed witch to Angel's room. Willow walked over to Buffy and placed her hand on the blonde's head, closing her eyes. After a moment, she sighed and pulled her hand away, opening her eyes. "She's deep in the drugs effects. I think her and Angelus are sharing a hallucination. It was all kind of…. Choppy."

"Will she pull out of it?" Lorne asked.

"Buffy's strong." She smiled reassuringly at the demon. "We should probably start the debriefing. I need to see Cordelia."

"She's locked in her room like Buffy asked." Connor said.

"Have you spoken with Buffy about…." Wesley trailed off, but Willow understood what he was asking.

"Yes. She's told me. That's sort of why I need to see her." Cordelia was sitting on her bed, covered up, when Connor escorted Willow into her room. "Hi there."

"Long time, no see." Cordelia said. She was clearly sullen to be stuck in her room.

"I'll be right outside if you need me." Connor said.

"Thank you." Willow turned back to Cordelia as Connor left the room. "How've you been?"

"Higher power. You?"

"Ultimate evil. But I got better."

"You heard about Buffy?"

"Yeah. I've already been to see her. She'll be ok."

"What about Angelus? Did you go down to see him yet?"

"I'm way avoidy. Too many memories. I'm just glad I don't have to be in the same room with him when I re-ensoul him."

"Oh, you really think you can pull it off?"

"Putting his soul back? It's the first spell I ever learned. I'm not gonna forget that."

"What about the Muo-Ping?"

"The jar holding Angel's soul? Therein lies our boneage."

"Stolen right from our safe. And if we can't get the soul out of the jar, we can't put it back in Angel."

"Yeah, question is: how do we get the soul out if we don't know where the jar is?"

"And apparently, the thing's impervious to magic."

"Yeah, I know. I already tried a standard locator spell, but zero joy."

"Right. Plus, Wesley's shaman says there's no way to extract the soul from a distance."

"Soul trapped in a glass jar, impervious to magic. It is complicated."

"Tough nut to crack."

"Not really. I've already cracked it."  
"Oh? Can you hand me that drink?"

Willow wasn't going anywhere near Cordelia. She could feel the bad mojo coming off the woman in waves. She also knew that Angel's soul was somewhere in this room. "I'll get Connor to help you. I've really got to work on this spell." She turned and hightailed it out of the room.

Wesley and Connor were both waiting outside. Willow looked at Wesley and gave a subtle nod. He looked grim as he nodded back. Connor missed the exchange, though. He turned and watched the two walk down the hall as he took up his post guarding Cordelia.

* * *

Buffy and Angelus were sitting in a booth in a 1970's donut shop. Disco music was playing on the jukebox as a long-haired Angel walked in past them. Buffy had to laugh at his clothing and even harder as he chose a different song on the jukebox.

Angelus rolled his eyes. "Bring on the pain!"

"I forgot he loves Barry Manilow so much." Buffy said, watching Angel enjoy the music. She looked at Angelus. "It's nice seeing you going through the mental torture thing. How bad does it kill you that he loves power-ballads so much?"

He sneered at her. "Worse were the concerts." They watched a couple walk out past Angel, who watched them leave with a longing look. "You know what that's like? Every time he gets close, I feel it. Wanting to tear their flesh apart. The hunger. It's like a blade in my gut."

"But it's not your gut. Angel belongs on the outside, not you."

"You think it's that cut and dry, don't you? That if Angel gets his soul back…."

"When."

"You'll just hang up your spurs and ride off into the sunset knowing you put the monster back in his cage."

"I know it's not that cut and dry. You seem to forget that I was the one Angel shared everything with. I know that you're always in there. But that body belonged to Angel long before you came along."

A man walk into the shop and the cashier looked up cheerily. "Hi. Can I help you?"

"Gimme your money." The man that walked in had a gun in his hand and took a shot at the ceiling. "Gimme the cash in the drawer."

"Oh. Ok."

"Open it!"

"Oh, all right. I, uh…."  
"Come on!"

"I, uh, I just need to…."

"Now!" The gun went off and the cashier dropped to the ground.

Angel got up and ran over to the cashier's side. "It's gonna be ok. I'll get you to a hospital. You're…. you're gonna be ok. All right? It's…. everything's gonna be…."

"It hurts." The cashier said.

"Yeah, I know."

"Doc, I think we're losing him." Angelus taunted. "God, I love this episode! What is that buzzing?"

"I don't hear any buzzing." Buffy said.

Angel held the cashier as the man died from his gunshot wound. "God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"So, who's your big hero now?" Angelus taunted as Angel backed away from the cashier's body.

"He'll always be a hero to me." Buffy said. "This event has never changed the way I feel about it him."

"God, of course you now about this, too."

"We had a lot of time to talk." Buffy said as she watched Angel locked the door.

"Gotta be different actually watching him do it though."

Angel vamped out and lifted the clerk's neck to his mouth. Buffy jumped slightly as she felt the scar on her neck suddenly open up and begin to bleed. "This can't be good," she said as the world went black.

* * *

Wesley helped Willow prepare the Delothrian's Arrow spell she was setting up. She watched the bubbling jar in front her closely and then nodded. "Look, it's working."

"I thought Delothrian's Arrow was used to protect good magicks." Wesley said.  
"It is."

"So, how can you use it to break the jar? The Muo-Ping is a sacred object. It's holy."

"It's glass, therefore crunchable. The sacred's what's inside. 'All life a container….'"

"'For the heart of all life.' You've studied the Daharim."

"It had to be something specific. There's lots of jars in the world. Can't shatter them all. I mean, you could, but good things come in jars. Peanut butter, jelly, those two-headed fetal pigs at the natural history museum. Come on, everybody loves fetal pigs."

"Sorry. I think my sense of humor's trapped in a jar somewhere."

"Does seem like you've given in to the grumpy side of the force."

"A lot's happened. Not just Angelus. I've been…. I've changed. I've seen a darkness in myself. I'm not sure you'd even begin to understand…."

"I flayed a guy alive and tried to destroy the world."

"Oh. So…."

"Darkness. Been there."

"Yeah. Well, I never flayed…. I had a woman chained in a closet."

"Hey!"

"That doesn't compare."

"No, dark. That's dark. You've been to a place."

"You seem exactly the same as when I left. No other major changes I'm not up on?"

"Just…. little things."

Wesley sighed. "So, you truly believe Cordelia is the Beast's master?"

"She doesn't feel right. Not like Cordelia should. And I definitely felt the presence of a misplaced soul in that room. Buffy's right, everything points to her being the Beast's master. The sooner we can get Angel back, the sooner that can be dealt with."

Fred walked into the lobby from upstairs at the same time Gunn did from downstairs. "Is everything ready?" He asked.  
"Yes."  
"How's Buffy?" Gunn asked Fred.

Fred shook her head. "Lorne says she's taken a turn for the worse. Her neck is bleeding again."

"Buffy will pull through." Willow said. "She always does." She handed Fred a candle and a bell. "I need you to, well, do laps around the lobby while ringing this bell."

"I can do that." Fred began her first lap.

"Ok, now all I gotta do is contact the spirit world, harness the Delothrian ebb, and focus it through my little marble of doom here." She held up a small metal ball. "And we'll restore the Muo-Ping's entropic equilibrium."

"The jar goes smash?" Gunn asked.

"Smash-o-crash."

"All I need to know. I'll be downstairs in case the Prince of Darkness wakes up." Gunn headed back downstairs.

"You ready?" Wesley asked.

"Should be a snap."

When Willow snapped her fingers, a bolt of orange colored energy hit Willow, sending her sliding across the floor. She grabbed her head as a booming voice yelled, "Stay your hand, witch! You will not interfere with what must come to pass."

"Invadoria disparu!"

"You think to banish me?"

"There's somebody in my head."

"As long as the soul is under my protection, it will never be freed."

Willow held out her hands and looked up at the ceiling. "Vetsche invadoria disparu!"

"It's the dead Beast's master." Wesley said as Willow retrieved her metal marble. "He contacted Angelus the same way."

"He wants to stop us from getting the soul!" Fred cried.

Willow held out her hand holding the marble. "Open the window. Fill this stone. Inside, outside. Two made one." The marble began to float and glow a fiery orange.

Willow was knocked down by another bolt of energy from the Beastmaster just as Connor came running to the balcony. "I can hear Cordelia in her room chanting. Should I stop her?"

"No. We don't want her to hurt you." Wesley said.

"You think Cordelia is the Beast's master?" Fred asked.

"Alesh ashtoreth!" Willow yelled as the ground started shaking.

"Do you feel that?" Wesley asked.

"There's something evil rising in the hotel." Connor said as an apparition of a huge demonic head floated above them in the lobby, growling and shrieking. "What the hell is that?"

"Ignore it." Willow snapped.

"Go guard Cordelia." Wesley ordered Connor.

Connor nodded and ran upstairs as Willow said, "Find your target. Leave my side." She shoved her hand out and sent the marble away from her. "Gethnaharoth castellumtol. Break the glass let loose the soul!"

* * *

Buffy woke up in a dark alley full of trash laying in a pile of soft trash bags. She groaned as she felt the severity of her wounds. She'd been beaten nearly to death four different times in a span of barely a week. Then she'd overdosed herself with a mystical drug that she could feel was killing her. Dragging her down.

Angelus was there in the alley with her. He was laying on his side next to her, head propped up on his hand, watching her. "It'll all be worth it. Eventually you and Angel will have your happy ending and I'll be buried away for good. Is that what you tell yourself, Buff?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "No, because I'll probably die before Angel and I can ever truly be together."

"If that's the case for you two, then why not give into me now? You can still have the body and the brain and I can make you pretty unkillable."

"Why would I want that?"

"Because right now, you're fading fast, baby. I can feel it."

"Maybe, but at least I know that Angel will be back where he belongs."

"Or not. I've got friends in high places." They heard someone stumbling around closer to the mouth of the alley and Buffy struggled to a sitting position to see that it was Angel falling into some garbage cans chasing down a rat to eat. "Him, not being one of 'em." Angelus got to his feet and Buffy climbed painfully to hers, holding her broken ribs.

"When is this?" She asked.

"When isn't it? Twenty years after that stupid donut shop, and his fingers never smelled of anything but rat! 'I'm so sorry. I give up. I'm gonna live in a sewer!'"

"He was paying for what you did."

"He's hiding from what he is…. Which may be a big Psych 101 revelation for you, cupcake, but I already know this crap, so why do I have to go through it again?"

"Maybe cause it's not about you," Angel said, standing up from the turned over trashcans. "Jackass."

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. "Angel."

Angel smiled at her. "Hey stranger. You're looking a little worse for the wear."

"You wanna be the pot or the kettle?"

"I don't believe this!" Angelus snapped. "You're the one behind this whole true-Hollywood sob-story?"

Buffy limped over to Angel, her head swimming with the drug. She had to catch herself on a nearby wall to keep from falling over. "Hi. I hate the hair."

Angel moved closer to her. "Buffy, why are you still here?"

"I've been stuck babysitting psycho boy until Willow can shove him back into his box."

"Then what? After that, what happens?"

Angelus suddenly grabbed Buffy and threw her into a nearby wall. She crumpled to the ground in a heap. "Probably something like that. I had a feeling the rules have changed."

"She's not who you're after."

"She's always been who I've been after. But right now, our Slayer will just be gravy once I finish you off."

"I've been waiting a long time for this." Angel and Angelus said in unison.

Angel threw the first punch and they traded them back and forth until Angel managed to throw Angelus away a few feet. He went over to check on his downed Slayer. "Buffy, get up! Are you listening?"

"I'm sorry, Angel. I'm trying not to, but I'm pretty sure I'm dying."

"You're not. You're not allowed."

"I think you're ignoring the fact that I've been beaten nearly to death more than three times in a week." She winced in pain as she shifted. "And I forgot everything I learned in all those 'say no to drug' programs from school."

"The world needs you alive, Buffy. This world needs you. I need you, ok?"

Angelus grabbed Angel by the neck. "Always so concerned with keeping your little Slayer alive." He threw his souled half down the alley. "It's no big mystery, man." He kicked Buffy hard in the face and sent her reeling back, a fresh wound opening on her cheekbone. "Slayers suffer and they die. That's what they're there for."

Angel dove at Angelus, tackling him away from Buffy. They began an exchange of powerful blows until Angel finally managed to throw Angelus down the alley and into a wall, knocking him out cold. He ran over to Buffy and lifted her into his arms. "Buffy, look at me. You do not have my permission to die today."

"It's ok." She reached up and cupped his cheek. "If the trade if you for me, then I'm ok with that."

"Yeah, but I'm not. I've never been ok with that trade. You are not dying today. I won't let you."

"I wasn't lying to Angelus before. I'm so tired, Angel."

"I know. I know, Buffy. Look at me. I've been there, too, but someone very smart once told me that strong is fighting. You should listen to her."

"She was optimistic then. She's been through too much and she's done some stupid things since then."

"Hey, you know that I'm not perfect. Even with a soul, I've done things I wished a thousand times I could take back. A lot of them were to you." Buffy closed her eyes, feeling the drug pulling her down. "Buffy, wake up!" He yelled. "Get up!" He shook her and then started to stand up with her. "Come on. You have to get up now. Buffy, you have to fight. I need you to fight. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Angelus snuck up behind Angel and hit him hard over the head with a metal pipe. "What won't I miss?" He hit Angel again and Buffy closed her eyes, summoning all of her strength she had left to her. Angel needed her. "The moralizing. Soul's already in the ether, boyo. I can smell it." Buffy felt a rush of adrenaline at the thought of Angel dying and she surged to her feet. "How about I send it off to that big puppy rescue in the sky." She grabbed Angelus by the back of the neck and threw him backwards. He got to his feet and turned around to face her with a grin. "Buff! Welcome back!"

"Hello, lover."

Angelus swung the pipe at her head, but she disappeared. When she opened her eyes, she was laying in Angel's bed. Lorne was sitting beside her holding a cool washrag to her forehead and Connor was sitting on the floor holding her hand. Lorne looked down at her in surprise.

"Buffy?" He asked.

Connor jumped up. "You're alive!"

"Ow." Buffy croaked.

"I'll get you some water." Connor said, running off into the other room.

"We didn't think you would pull through." Lorne said.

"I didn't either." Buffy answered, letting the green empath demon help her to sit up some. Connor came back and handed her the water. "Thank you." She drank the cold water gratefully and handed the glass back to him. "Has Willow done the restoration spell?"

"She was just starting when I came up here." Connor said.

"I'll go let her know you're awake and see how she's coming along putting the soul back in our Angelcakes." Lorne said. He smiled at her and headed out of the room.

Connor took his place, sitting next to Buffy and watching her. "I'm glad you didn't die."

"I'll be glad when everything stops hurting." She said with a smile. He didn't smile back, though. "What's wrong?"

"You were right."

"About?"

"Cordelia. She's the Beast's master."

"You're positive?"

Connor nodded. "I saw the marble in Willow's spell go into Cordelia's room. I heard the glass break inside when I knocked on her door. And…." He hesitated.

"What is it?"

"She's pregnant." Buffy's eyes widened in shock. "I don't know with what, though."

"What do you mean?"

"I may have been raised in Quar'toth, but I know that a human baby doesn't grow that fast. She's getting big fast." He looked over at Buffy. "She never really loved me, did she?"

Buffy reached over and took Connor's hand. "Whoever or whatever is in Cordelia's body is not her. The real Cordelia loved you."

"How do you know?"

"I talked to her a few times after you were born. She adored you. I promise that your dad will make this right. He'll find a way to fix Cordelia."

"Will you stay and help?"

"Connor…."

"You're the first person in a long time that's treated me nicely. You haven't talked down to me like I'm some stupid teenager who's done bad things."

"You're not stupid, Connor. You're just a teenager and teenagers do some really dumb things. That's part of growing up. You're no different there."

"Please stay, Buffy."

"I wish I could, but I can't. I've got an apocalypse of my own to stop. I've got girls and friends back home depending on me to guide them through it."

"You could guide me! You could teach me to be a hero like you." Before she could answer, the door opened and Angel walked into the room. Connor sighed. "I'll leave you two alone."

"Connor." Buffy called before he could leave the room. "We'll talk later, ok?" He nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Angel took Connor's place on the bed and reached out to cup Buffy's bruised cheek. "God, Buffy, I'm so sorry you got dragged into this."

"What do you remember?"

"I remember the dream that the shaman used to take my soul out. That was real?"

"For the two of us it was." She smiled. "It was an interesting way to play catch up with you."

"I'll say." He chuckled. "I also remember you telling Angelus about your relationship with Spike."

"It wasn't a relationship." She sighed. "You saw me after I came back, Angel. I wasn't myself."

"I know."

"I was in a dark, self-destructive place and he was…. Convenient. I used him and I hated myself every minute for it." She looked down at her hands. "I wanted it to be you."

"I'm sorry." She blew out a nervous breath. "I've been where you were, so I shouldn't judge you. It's how Connor came about." He took her hand. "I wanted it to be you."

"Will that ever change?"

"No. There's so much we've left unsaid for so many years."

"So much that Angelus said for us."

"Buffy…." He took a deep breath. "What do you want to know?"

"Is what he said true?"

"Yes. I was human with you for 24 hours that day you came to confront me about Thanksgiving. We made love over and over and we were just together and it was…. Amazing."

"I think I've dreamed about it. I've had these reoccurring dreams that have never felt like dreams. There's one where we're kissing in the sunlight by the Santa Monica Pier and then…." She blushed slightly. "The other one…. We're lying naked in bed eating ice cream and you drop some on your chest and I lick it off. It makes you laugh and that's my favorite sound in the whole world. I always look forward to that dream." Angel looked down at their still clasped hands. "It was real?"

"You promised me you'd never forget."

"Why did you take it back?"

"To save you. There's absolutely no other reason I would've taken back the best day of my life."

"Did I die?"

"No. But you would have and I couldn't bear the thought that I wouldn't be able to protect you." He snorted. "Fat lot of good it did me, though. You still died."

"You said in our shaman-induced fever dream that you were reminded of things that you'd done that broke your heart and destroyed you inside and out just to protect me."  
"To make sure you were alive even if I couldn't be with you." He nodded. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of our time together. Most days I change the outcome in my head."

Before Buffy could say anything, there was a knock on the door and Willow poked her head in. She smiled at them and came into the room, closing the door behind her. "Hey. Glad to see you're both up and at 'em."

"Up? Yes. At 'em? Not so much." Buffy said.

"Thank you for all your help, Willow." Angel said.

Willow nodded, looking at Buffy and Angel's clasped hands. "So, listen, uh…. I have something I need to tell you guys."

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all! I just…. I changed the spell."

"What spell?"

"The restoration spell?" Angel asked.

Willow nodded. "Changed how?" Buffy asked.

"I took the loophole out."

"You…." Angel started.

"How?" Buffy asked.

"I've been working on it for years, actually." The blonde Slayer looked startled at the revelation. "Buffy, you were never happy with anyone like you were with Angel. Even when you two were miserable together, you were happy. I figured it out just before Tara…. And then I never got to tell you because everything just kind of…."

"Exploded."

"Yeah! And then I suddenly had this opportunity to use the new, non-loophole spell…."

"Are you sure the loophole is gone?" Angel asked quietly.

"Definitely sure. The spell felt different this time, too, when I did it. I'm sorry to drop this on you guys like this. You two have got a lot going on and this is the last thing you need to worry about, but…. The loophole is gone and you guys have the option of starting over together…. Without worrying about Angelus coming out to play." Willow smiled at them and then quickly retreated out of the room.

Buffy and Angel stared at each other for a long time. Neither of them knew what to say next. Finally, instead of addressing the extra-large elephant in the room, Buffy said, "Cordelia is the Beast's master."

"What?" Angel asked, shaking his head at the sudden change of topic.

"I've had my suspicions since I showed up here…. For real…. And Connor just confirmed it. She's not been herself. The Cordelia I knew wouldn't sleep with your son. And speaking of that, she's pregnant with…. something. Connor is sure it isn't human, though." Angel stood up and walked across the room. He yanked his leather duster off and tossed it on a chair. "You're angry."

"No. I'm overwhelmed." Angel corrected. "I just had _a lot_ of information dumped on me in the span of a few minutes."

Buffy sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed, letting out an involuntary groan of pain as her broken ribs protested. Angel was instantly at her side, helping her to stand. "I've had Connor and Gunn taking turns keeping watch over her since we discovered Lilah's body."

"How did you know it wasn't me that killed her?"

"I've got your bite mark permanently on my neck. I think I know what it looks like by now. All I had to do was look at Lilah's neck to know that she was stabbed before she was bitten and that's not Angelus' style."

"Fair point."

"Anyway, Connor was taking his turn guarding Cordelia when the marble went into her room and broke the glass jar holding your soul. He heard the glass break."

"How?"

"He has really good hearing."

"No, I meant how is Cordelia the Beast's master?"

"Oh. Sorry. There's probably some brain damage happening up here." She gestured at her head.

Angel sighed. "Come here." He helped her into the kitchenette area and sat her down in a chair at the dining table. Going over to the cabinets, he pulled out a first aid kit and occupied the other chair in front of her.

She gave him a grin. "Just like old times."

"Except this time you're a little more wounded than I've ever seen you." He took an alcohol wipe to the large cut on her cheek.

"I wish I could stay to help you figure out this whole Cordy-is-a-bad-guy thing."

"You have a bigger battle to get through in Sunnydale."

She watched him for a long moment as he concentrated on dressing what wounds he could. A million things went through her mind. Most of them were about the possibilities that laid ahead for the two of them. She also thought about Connor. She felt an instant love for the kid because of who his father was and she cared about him. He was miserable in LA surrounded by people who didn't trust him and a deceptive woman he thought had been in love with him.

"Angel, I want to take Connor with me back to Sunnydale." Angel stopped and gave her a long, hard look. "Ok, look, just…. Hear me out, ok? He doesn't feel wanted here."

"I want him here!"

"I didn't say you didn't. But _he_ feels like he's not. And from the reaction of your friend Gunn when I asked Connor to look out for your friends, Connor is kinda right about feeling that way. I don't know what bad things he did…."

"He dropped me to the bottom of the Pacific in a metal coffin for three months and didn't tell Gunn or Fred while they spent those months looking for me."

"Wow!"

Angel nodded. "To be fair, the man that raised him hated me and made Connor believe that I had killed him. He was seeking revenge for the man he thought of as his father."

"Ok. Well, I was an accessory to murder when I was his age and you were a drunk womanizing man-whore if I remember the stories correctly…. And I do…. So, I guess he's not doing anything _so_ different from us." Angel chuckled. "I seriously think it would be good for him to get away from everything. You want him to get to know you and see that you're not a bad person?" He nodded. "Who better to teach him than the person that loves you the most?"

Angel looked down at his hands. "I just want what's best for him."

"Because you're a good father." She smiled sadly. "Isn't it funny that you left me so I could have kids and you're the one that ends up with one?" Angel just shot her a glare. "Sorry."

"There are times when I wish that I had brought him to you as a baby. We could've raised him together and maybe he wouldn't have grown up in a hell dimension."

"I probably wouldn't have gone off the deep end last year if you and baby Connor had shown up at my doorstep."

"We'd be celebrating his first steps and his first words right about now."

"His first word would totally have been 'Buffy.' Or the baby equivalent of it, anyway." She joked.

"'Mama'" He corrected her with a slight smile. "It would've been 'mama'." She looked up at him in surprise. "All I ever wanted was to have a life with you. The only reason I didn't come to Sunnydale with Connor is because I was scared."

"Of what?"

"Everything. I was most scared of how you might react and of becoming so happy at seeing the woman I love holding my son that I would lose my soul."

"Valid things to be scared of. If we're being completely honest, I don't know how I would've reacted. I was a mess last year. I completely missed my best friend becoming addicted to magic and my sister turning into a major klepto. I pushed everyone away and got into a seriously unhealthy, abusive…. Thing with Spike of all people."

"Did he hurt you?"

Buffy hesitated before saying, "We hurt each other."

"I don't like your hesitation."

"We can talk about it all later, ok? When we have actual time between apocalypses to concentrate on our lives and what exactly we're going to do about Willow's bombshell about your soul."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"I wouldn't expect any less."

Angel went back to bandaging her wounds. As he was wrapping her ribs up tightly, he said, "If Connor wants to go with you to Sunnydale, I won't stop him."

"I really think it'll be good for him to get away from all the negativity in his life and hang out with me and mine for a while. Also, to get him away from whatever is parading around as Cordelia. She's been really jealous that Connor has been hanging around me."

"I'm not looking forward to figuring that out."

"I'm sorry about Cordelia. I know you two…."  
"We never got started and now that my soul…." He trailed off.

"What?"

A smile creeped across his face. "My soul is permanent."

Buffy had to smile, too. "So Willow says." Her smiled faded, though as she recalled what he had just said about him and Cordelia. "Now that your soul is permanent, you want to give it a try with Cordelia if you get her back."

"No!" He grabbed her hands. "No. Buffy, my heart belongs to you and only you. If my soul is permanent, then you're the only one I want a future with." She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as he pulled her closer to him. "Stay here one more night?"

"Angel…." She was pressed against him with his arms around her now. Her hands held onto his shirt at his ribs, holding him to her.

"You need to rest. Your ribs are broken, you've got more cuts and bruises than I can count, and I'm pretty sure that drug isn't completely out of your system yet. If Willow wants to stay, we've got plenty of rooms."

She looked up at him. "If I stay one more night, I'll never leave."

"I wouldn't have a problem with that." They stared at each other intently for a long moment, but finally Angel reluctantly released her. "You're right. We've both got a lot on our plates."

Buffy nodded. "Right. Yes. This talk isn't over, though."

"No. It's definitely not." He took a step back. "I'll go talk with Connor." Angel headed for the door, but, at the last second, turned around and strode back over to Buffy. He pulled her to him and kissed her fiercely. She made an involuntary noise of pain, but kept her arms around his neck so he couldn't pull away. They allowed themselves a few moments to make out like they used to before the threat of Angelus loomed large over them.

Finally, they pried themselves apart and Buffy smiled brightly at him. "I've missed that."

"Me too." He kissed her one last time. "Ok. I'm going to talk to Connor."

* * *

Buffy, Willow, and Connor stood together in the lobby with Angel, Wesley, Lorne, and Fred. Gunn was upstairs keeping watch over Cordelia's room. He'd said his goodbyes before taking up Connor's post.

Lorne hugged Buffy gingerly. "Strumpet, it was so good to finally meet you. I look forward to seeing you again."

"Thank you, Lorne." Buffy said.

"Thank you for coming." Fred said. "I'm sorry you got the snot beat out of you so many times. I feel like that's bad hospitality."

Buffy shrugged. "It's part of being the Slayer. Don't worry about me, though." She hugged Fred. "Take care, ok?" She turned to Wesley. "Wes."

"Buffy." Wesley said.

"While this new, darker Wesley is a gun guy to be around, you should let some of that old, nerdy Wes come back out some. He was a hoot."

"I'll do my best."

Angel patted Connor on the shoulders. "I'm happy you decided to go with Buffy, son. She's a good teacher. You'll learn a lot from her."

"Good." Connor said.

"Just…. Take care of yourself and watch her back."

"I will."

"He's in overprotective mode." Buffy said conspiratorially to Connor. "Next thing you know, he'll be hiding in the shadows keeping tabs on you."

"Who says I don't already do that?" Angel shot back with a grin.

Connor shook his head. "You really are different around her."

"I think that volume's outdated." Fred said, handing Willow a book. "You'd know better than me, but there's some interesting stuff about the Hellmouth. Might help."

"This is great." Willow said.

"I have to say, someday I'd love to bend your ear about the Pergamum Codex. I think some of the really obscure passages are actually Latin translated from a demonic tongue, and they're kind of a hoot. All this stuff about Bacchanals and spells and…. actually, I think it's probably funnier in Latin. You know how that is sometimes."

"I'm seeing someone." Willow blurted.

Buffy laughed. "Ok, kiddo, let's hit the road. Will?"

"As I'll ever be." Willow said. "Wagons west. See you guys."

"Willow…." Angel started.

"He's going to tell you how much he owes you." Buffy said.

"Don't mention it." Willow said, heading for the door with Buffy and Connor.

"Buffy?" Angel asked just before she stepped out the door.

She turned around and looked at him with a slight smile tugging at her lips. "I know." He smiled and nodded at her as she walked out.


	7. Dirty Girls

Connor and Buffy had spent the entire car ride from LA talking and he'd enjoyed it. She was a nice person and she treated him like a human being. A lot of bad things had happened to her in her short lifespan and he could relate to that.

"I'm sorry I'm dragging you from one bad situation to another." Buffy said. "I just figured you might need a break from the judgement in LA. Your dad agreed."

"Why did he?" Connor asked.

"Because he loves you and only wants the best for you. I guess when we get home, you can sleep in my room. I've got an air mattress stashed in my closet. The girls don't go in there, so you'll be safe. Just…. Ignore the stares."

"Why would they be staring at me?"

"Because you're a boy their age and you're easy on the eyes. Pretty sure I gave your dad the same looks at some point when I was their age. You look a lot like him."

"That's a good thing?"

Buffy laughed. "Yeah, Connor. That's a good thing." The passenger door of the truck driving ahead of them opened suddenly and a body fell out. Buffy slammed on the brakes and barely avoided hitting the girl lying on the road. The truck kept driving into the night. Buffy and Connor got out of the car and ran up to the girl. "Can you hear me?" She rolled the girl over to reveal a stab wound in her stomach and blood pooling on the ground. "She's bleeding pretty bad. We need to get her to the hospital."

Connor nodded and knelt down to lift the girl in his arms. Buffy ran to her Jeep and got out an emergency blanket from the back. She laid it down on the backseat and Connor laid the bleeding girl on the backseat.

"I'll stay back here with her." He offered, climbing into the back.

Buffy got into the driver's seat and hit the gas. She glanced at Connor in the rearview mirror. "Welcome to Sunnydale."

* * *

Buffy and Connor stood outside a wall of windows watching surgeons operate on the girl they had saved. Willow walked towards them looking extremely nervous. "I got your message. Is she ok?"

"She will be." Buffy said. "Where have you been?"

"Uh…. LA."

"You left before we did."

"Yeah. I…. Kind of…. Sort of…. I did something in LA before I left." Buffy didn't say anything and Willow fidgeted some more before saying in a fast stream of words, "I went to see Faith and ended up magically breaking her out of jail."

"You did what?"

Faith rounded the corner behind Willow. "I told you she wouldn't be happy about it."

"Not happy about my best friend breaking a murderer out of jail?"

"She's a murderer?" Connor asked.

"And a Slayer."

"Like you?"

"She wishes."

"Look," Faith said. "I'm here to help. If something's killing girls all over the world, trying to end the Slayer line…. Thing like that…. Figure I might get a heads up."

"You were in prison." Buffy said. "I figured you were safe there from what's going on out here."

"Yeah, that's prison. Safe as a kitten."

"Did something happen?"

"Someone came at me with a nasty looking knife. Didn't really know why till Big Red showed up."

"We didn't think they would go after you in there. If we'd have known…."

"Forget it. It's cool. I'm here now and ready to help."

Buffy nodded. "Good. Welcome back."

Faith looked at Connor. "Angel's kid?"

"Yeah." Connor said.

"Cool." Faith looked at the girl being worked on by the surgeons. "You sure she's one of us? She don't look like much now. Not a potential Slayer, I mean."

"I don't know." Buffy said. "It fits the First's MO, though. We'll know more when she wakes up."

" _If_ she wakes up. Girl's been gutted like a catfish."

"Yeah." Buffy closed her eyes for a moment, trying to ignore the pain in her ribs.

"You look like you went a few rounds with a Mack truck, B."

"Pretty sure I did."

"You should go home and get some rest." Willow said. "I can stay here."

"No rest for the weary." Buffy stood a little straighter, causing her ribs to protest. "I've got a war to get back to."

"Come on, B." Faith said. "You've got two super beings here now. Take a breather."

Buffy shook her head. "I took a breather by going up to LA."

"You've got a twisted version of a breather, then, if taking on Angelus and some crazy rock demon is your idea of one."

That made the blonde Slayer laugh. "Probably. I am going to head back to the house, though. I can get Faith and Connor set up there."

"And get some rest." Willow insisted. She pointed at her face. "Resolve face."

"I'll make sure she at least tries." Connor said.

"How do you think you're going to do that?" Buffy asked.

Connor shrugged. "I have no idea."

Buffy chuckled. "Come on, kid. Let's go."

* * *

Buffy, Faith, and Connor walked into Buffy's house through the front door. Dawn and Giles were at the dining room table. Faith ignored them for the moment as she looked around the house.

"Whoa. Memory Lane." The dark headed Slayer said. "Same old house."

"Yeah, well, every piece of furniture's been destroyed and replaced since you left, so, actually, new house." Buffy joked.

Dawn walked towards them with her arms crossed, giving Faith a glare. "Buffy?"

"We have a couple new house guests."

"Hey, got a spare bed for a wanted fugitive?" Faith asked lightheartedly.

"Hello, Faith." Giles said, nodding.

Dawn was glaring at Faith and the dark Slayer looked at Buffy. "Well, I guess 'wanted' wasn't really accurate."

"Does _she_ have to stay here?" Dawn asked. "Because there's some nice hotels that welcome tried-to-kill-your-sister types."

"Check it out. Brat's all woman-sized." Faith said.

Buffy shrugged. "Little bit. Dawn, this is Connor."

"Angel's son?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah."

Dawn reached out and shook Connor's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Connor said.

"Come on, Connor." Buffy headed for the stairs. "Let's see if we can dig out that air mattress."

"Faith, we better, um, see if we can find some place to squeeze you in for the night." Giles said.

Spike, who had been listening in the kitchen, poked his head out once Dawn and Giles had walked off. "Not all that tension was about you." He said. "Giles was a part of a plan to kill me…. For Buffy's own good."

Faith looked Spike up and down. "Well, that makes me feel better about me, worse about Giles…. Kinda shaky about you." She shook her head and followed Giles.

Spike walked up the stairs, heading for Buffy's room. She was alone for the moment, sitting on the edge of her bed with her eyes closed. Connor was in the bathroom. The bag for an air mattress was sitting at her feet. "You smell like him."

"Who?" Buffy asked, opening her eyes to look at him.

"Angel."

"That happens when you're in a fight to the death with his soulless half."

"It looks like my grandsire almost won that fight."

She shrugged. "He didn't."

"That's not why you smell like him, though."

Connor came out of the bathroom and his eyes landed on Spike. "Buffy needs rest."

Spike laughed. "Look at Angel Jr.! The apple didn't fall far from that tree. You got your mother's forehead, though, thankfully."

"Spike," Buffy snapped. "Please don't cause trouble."

"Seems like you and I need to talk, but I'll let you rest." He looked her over once more before turning and shutting the door.

"Don't mind him." Buffy said. "He's just…. Spike."

"Angel told me about him." Connor said.

She looked at him in surprise. "And what did Angel have to say about Spike?"

"That he hurt you and I need to keep an eye on him."

"That it?"

"That's it." Connor picked up the air mattress. "I'll figure out how to get this blown up. You get some sleep."

* * *

Buffy walked into the main office of the high school and headed for Robin Wood's office. The last time she'd seen him, he had been beaten badly by Spike in his and Giles' attempt to kill Spike. He was just sitting at his desk working and looked up at her.

"You look better." Buffy said.

"You don't." Robin said.

"I'm healing."

"What happened in LA?"

"Got into a couple of fights to the death. Managed to win both. Stopped an apocalypse, I think."

"Good to hear. Did you come here to start beating up on me?"

"No. Well, I thought about it. I made some doodles. But then I went to LA and it just didn't seem all that important. As far as I'm concerned, we're on even ground. I meant what I said. I don't have time for your vendetta, but I need you in this fight. I want you on my side."

"Thanks. That means a lot."

"So, we're good?"

"Absolutely. You're fired."

"What?!"

"Effective immediately."

"You're firing me? I gave you notice that I needed to leave for a few days!"

"It's not about that. Buffy, there's nothing here for you. People are leaving town, half the kids don't even bother showing up anymore…. You've got things to deal with that are much worse than anything here. Look at the big picture."

"Right. The big picture. The one with the big war and the dead little girls."

"Not dead. Not dead. Not if you get them ready."

"I don't want to lead them into war. It can't be the right thing."

"Most wars aren't, you know."

"Some of these girls haven't even been tested in battle."

"Then, I guess, maybe you should test them. Word has it that you brought someone back from LA."

"My ex's 18 year old son. I think my ex will eventually come down and join this fight. Couldn't I just come to work part-time? I could make flyers for encounter groups and post them up all over school."

"And you're fired again. Remember, Buffy, the mission's what matters."

Buffy sighed and walked out of the office. Connor, who had accompanied her that day, walked up to her. "This is a school. Why isn't anyone here?"

"People have been leaving town." Buffy said, heading for the exit. "They sense something bad is here and they have the sense enough to leave before the Hellmouth blows…. For once."

"Where are we going? Don't you have to work?"

"My boss…. He knows who I am. He's the son of a Slayer. Well, he fired me just now."

"Why?"

"Because I have bigger things to deal with. Also, there's not really anybody here."

"So, what do we do today?"

Buffy sighed. "I don't really want to go home just yet. Want a tour of Sunnydale?"

"Sure."

An hour later, they were sitting in Angel's old mansion drinking their coffee drinks from the Espresso Pump. Buffy looked around the place. It was slightly dusty since she hadn't been here in a while to clean it. "I should just move in here and get away from all those girls."

"Why don't you? There's more space here." Connor said.

"This was Angel's place. Not mine."

"I don't think he would mind. Besides, you come here to get away, don't you? That's what you said."

"I also can't just leave the girls without a protector."

"They have Faith there now. And Willow."

"If anymore girls show up, I'm going to have to stick them somewhere." Connor nodded. The house was full of girls and about to burst. They made him feel uncomfortable with all their staring. "Maybe this place wouldn't be so bad."

"Maybe." Connor agreed. They were quiet for a long moment, then Connor said, "Buffy, did you know my mother?"

"I met her once."

"What was she like?"

Buffy was quiet for a long moment and at first, he wasn't sure if she heard him or was ignoring the question. Then she finally said, "Darla was evil. She and Angelus spent a century and a half wreaking havoc on people before she kicked him out for getting a soul. Which was her fault, by the way. The one time I met her, she was trying to kill me because she was angry that Angel fell in love with me."

"But she kicked him out for having a soul. Why was she mad he didn't love her?"

"I guess because neither Angel or Angelus ever really loved her."

"And they both love you."

"Angelus doesn't love me."

"That's not the impression I got."

Buffy scowled at Connor for a moment, but shook her head. "Connor, Angelus and Darla only loved themselves. They both did horrible things to each other and everything they did benefitted themselves. Angelus does _not_ love me. He's never done anything good for my benefit. The only good thing Darla ever did in her very long life was to bring you into the world."

Connor nodded. "Do you think I'm like them?"

"I think you're very much like Angel and nothing like Darla."

"How am I like Angel?"

"Well, besides your appearance, your mannerisms are so alike it's scary. Watching you two, it's hard to believe that you and your dad spent 17 years apart."

"You watch me?"

"You're hard not to notice. Like your dad." Connor blushed slightly. "You both have the urge to protect your friends and family. You both have a fighting spirit and the will to do what you think is right."

"Is that why you love him?"

"It's among the many reasons why I love him."

"I wish you had been my mom."

"So does your dad, apparently."

"Not you?"

"I would've been honored to be your mother, but the universe didn't see it that way."

"I'm here now."

"That you are. But please don't call me 'mom', though. Might be a little weird."

Connor laughed. "So now that his soul is permanent, will you and Angel be together again?"

"I hope so, but only time will tell." She looked at her empty plastic cup. "We should go see if there's been any word from Willow about that girl we saved."

* * *

Buffy and Connor stood with Willow in Shannon's hospital room. The girl had finally woken up and Willow had left word at the house for Buffy. Connor and Buffy had turned around and gone immediately to the hospital. Shannon was laying in her hospital bed, one eye swollen shut. There was a cut running across her nose and another between her eyebrows. She had multiple bandages on her body.

"He was a minister, or something." Shannon said. "At least, he dressed like one. I thought he was trying to save me…. At first."

"He picked you up on the side of the road?" Buffy asked.

"Bringers were chasing me. He said they were his boys…. Right before he burned me." She reached up and pulled the bandage off to reveal a round burn mark on her neck. Willow pulled out her digital camera from her purse and snapped a picture of the burn. "He wanted to tell you something. Before he…. Cut me. He told me to give the Slayer a message."

"What is it?"

"He said, 'I have something of yours.'"

Buffy's brows drew down in confusion. "He didn't say what?" Connor asked.

"No. He pushed me out of the truck after that."

Buffy sighed. "Shannon, I promise I'll take care of this." She gently touched the girl's shoulder before heading out of the room with Willow and Connor right behind her.

Connor moved into step with Buffy. "What do you think it is?"

"No idea."

"It could be a trap."

"Maybe. But if he has another potential, then I have to find out." She looked at Willow. "I need you to ask for volunteers from the ones that have been here to longest. Any of them that thinks they're ready for an actual battle."

Willow looked at Buffy's still battered body. "Do you think _you're_ ready for an actual battle?"

"I don't have time to think about that."

"Buffy, you can't protect these girls if you're not at 100. I don't want you or anyone else ending up in here or worse."

"I don't want that either."

* * *

Buffy stood in her living room later that evening after addressing the potentials who had volunteered to go. Willow, Xander, Giles, Spike, Connor, and Faith were all seated around her. "We need to start arming the girls." Buffy said. "I wanna be ready to move when we find him."

"We don't even know where we're going." Willow pointed out.

"That's why I figured we'd do a little recon first." Buffy looked at Faith and Connor. "You two up for it?"

"Point me where you want me." Faith said.

"Definitely." Connor said.

"And you're certain this is the best course of action?" Giles asked. "You don't even know what this man has of yours…. If he, in fact, has anything."

"It could be a girl, a potential trying to get to us."

"Could be a stapler."

"Going in anyway."

"With the girls? Most of whom have yet to be in the field, let alone in a life or death situation."

"Then it's time we test them. Look, I'm just taking the ones that have been here the longest. The rest can stay behind."

"Could be that's just what he wants you to do: the old bait-and-switch." Spike said.

"Yeah, he lures us away and then kills the girls we leave behind." Willow agreed.

"I know. That's why I need you to stay here with them. You're my most powerful weapon, Will. I know you can keep them safe if anything happens."

"An unknown man breezes into town, says he has something of yours…." Xander said. "Buffy, this thing's got 'trap' written all over it."

"He won't be expecting a full attack. Not this soon. That's why we have to move."

"We know nothing about this man." Giles argued. "We cannot go into battle unprepared. We have to have more time."

"Giles, we don't have time. And you're not going into battle. You're staying behind with the others. Help the girls who still need a teacher." Buffy looked at Faith and Connor. "You ready?"

"Sure thing." Faith stood up.

"Let'sgo." Connor said.

* * *

Buffy, Connor, and Faith walked through the woods. They had found a Bringer and were now following him. Hopefully, it would lead them to their base of operations.

"No eyes, but look at him go." Faith commented. "He got SONAR or something?"

"Or something, I guess. Pretty good when they attack." Buffy said.

"Do they just roam free around town?" Connor asked.

"Well, normally, they show up out of nowhere, and then either stab or get stabbed, and then they run off. Looks like this guy wants to be found."

"Lends weight to the whole 'it's a trap' theory." Faith said.

"I'm through waiting around for people to attack us."

"Hey, I'm with you. Drop me in the hornet's nest, what the hell? You got a rough sitch here, trying to turn a bunch of little girls into an army…."

"They're potential slayers, just like we were."

"Right. Maybe they'll do as good as us."

"They're getting better."

"I'll work with them. Some of them seem real eager. Fashion disasters, yeah, but they're ready to fight."

"Why did you come back?"

"Willow said you needed me. Didn't give it a lot of thought. Do you…. Am I getting you want me to be not here?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I'm glad that you're here. It's good. Thank you."

"No problem. You know me. All about the good deeds." They were silent for a long time as they walked behind the Bringer. "Willow said you helped out Angel."

"Yeah."

"How'd you end up with Angel Jr, here?"

"I asked to come." Connor said.

"Got the hots for Blondie, too?"

"No."

"He did a bad thing and no one up there trusted him." Buffy said. "They treated him like a pariah. I figured he'd be better off with me away from the negativity. He's also got a sour opinion of his dad and I'm looking to change that."

"Gotcha." Faith looked at Connor. "I'm gonna give you my two cents, even if you don't want it. Your dad is a good man. Not sure what you've heard about him that makes you think any less of him, but Angel is…. He's the best man I've ever known."

"I was raised in a hell dimension by someone that hated Angel." Connor said.

"Angelus and Darla killed the guy's family way back when." Buffy explained. "There's a longer, more crazy story that comes after that, but I think we're here." The Bringer had gone into a building that resembled a barn. There was a faded sign over the entrance that said it was once a vineyard.

"What is this place?" Faith asked.

"Look, there's more of them." Connor said, pointing at three more Bringers making their way towards the building.

"I think we just found our hornet's nest."

"Let's get the cavalry." Buffy said.

The three of them about-faced and headed back towards Buffy's house. They were quiet for a long moment before Connor said to Faith, "You know my dad, too?"

Faith nodded. "The man risked life and limb and his relationship to Blondie to save my soul. He put me on the path to redemption."

"Faith and I weren't always so…. Pleasant towards each other." Buffy said.

"Way to sugarcoat it, B."

"We don't have time to really dive into our sordid history."

"There's a lot about Angel that I don't know." Connor said. "I just want to get to know him the way Buffy sees him."

"Why?" Faith asked. "I mean, you've known her for, like, a day."

"Because she was nice to me. She didn't look at me like everyone else did. She just…. Understood me. She trusted me. And Angel…. My dad…. He loves her. I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at her."

"That last part I've seen firsthand. The big guy only has eyes for B."

"His soul is permanent now."

"Connor!" Buffy cried.

"Whoa!" Faith stopped walking and looked hard at Buffy. "Is he serious?"

"Willow…. Took out the loophole."

"And you're not locked up in some room somewhere getting groiny with the love of your life?"

"In case you missed it, we're in the middle of an apocalypse here. And Angel has a bad situation he's got to deal with in LA. We don't have time to figure out where we stand in each other's lives now, let alone lock ourselves away somewhere to get groiny."

"B, you let Angel suck you dry and almost kill you just to save him even after he broke up with you. You didn't even hesitate to drop everything, including your Captain America wannabe boyfriend, to run to LA and save Angel from me after I woke up. Apocalypses and bad situations be damned. You two have that big, forever love. I would make time for that talk and the lack of that's definitely following."

"We'll make time for it."

"If you make it through this?"

Buffy shot Faith a glare that shut the dark headed Slayer up. Connor watched the two women walk ahead of him in silence. He was contemplating calling Angel and telling him he needed to come to Sunnydale. When they got back to the house, a group of potentials were standing around the living room with Andrew and Dawn. Xander was addressing the group.

"I've been through more battles with Buffy than you all can ever imagine. She's stopped everything that's ever come up against her. She's laid down her life, literally, to protect the people around her. This girl has died two times, and she's still standing. You're scared? That's smart. You got questions? You should. But you doubt her motives, you think Buffy's all about the kill, then you take the little bus to battle. I've seen her heart, and this time…. Not literally. And I'm telling you, right now, she cares more about your lives than you will ever know. You gotta trust her. She's earned it."

"Damn. I never knew you were that cool." Faith said. Everyone in the room turned to look at Buffy, Connor, and Faith standing in the doorway.

"Well, you always were a little slow." Buffy said.

"I get that now."

"All right, let's saddle up."

* * *

Buffy led her small group comprised of Connor, Faith, Spike, Xander, Kennedy, Rona, Molly, Chao-Ahn, Amanda and another potential named Lauren towards the vineyard. They marched up to the front door before Buffy stopped.

"Ok. Set up a perimeter. Guard the door. I don't want anything getting in behind us. My team goes in first, we check the place out. You guys are our safety-net. If this place is a trap, we give the signal, you guys come in, guns a-blazing."

"So, what's the signal?" Xander asked.

"I'm thinking lots and lots of yelling."

"Got it."

"Shall we?" Buffy led Spike, Connor, Molly, Kennedy, Rona, and Chao-Ahn into the building. They ended up headed down into a basement.

"What is this place?" Molly asked.

"Looks like an old vineyard." Buffy said.

"An evil vineyard, huh?" Kennedy asked.

"Like Falcon Crest." Spike said.

"Stay alert, you guys." Buffy warned. "Bringers are here somewhere. Just need to find out where."

"Shouldn't be too hard." Spike said as a gaggle of Bringers dislodged themselves from the shadows behind barrels of wine. They attached the girls, Buffy, Connor, and Spike. Buffy kept her eye on Connor, staying near him. If anything happened to him, she would never forgive herself and neither would Angel. Luckily, the fight was even and the girls were holding their own until the Bringers suddenly stopped fighting and blended back into the shadows.

A man Buffy assumed was Caleb walked out into the light. "Well, now, you girls are just burning with righteousness, aren't you? Problem is, you think you're blazing like suns, when really you're burning like matchsticks in the face of the darkness. You having fun? Now, I hope my boys haven't worn you out too much. I need you fit for when I purify you."

"Save the sermon, padre." Buffy said. "I heard you have something of mine."

"Well, I do now. You liked my little message, did you? You know, I ruined a perfectly good knife on that girl. Got her soiled blood all over the place. I may have to get a new truck. So, you're the Slayer. The Slayer. The strongest, the fastest, the most aflame with that most precious invention of all mankind: the notion of goodness. The Slayer must indeed be powerful." Without warning, Caleb sent Buffy flying across the room with a punch to her face. "So, what else you got?"

"Buffy!" Connor ran over to Buffy as Spike attacked Caleb.

Caleb pushed Spike down with ease and when Spike tried to stand, Caleb head-butted him before throwing him across the room. Spike burst through a large storage tank and wine poured out, washing Spike across the floor. The potentials moved in to join the fight with Kennedy leading them. The Bringers came back out of the shadows to fight the potentials as well. Connor was forced to stay over Buffy and defend her from the Bringers while she was unconscious.

Caleb moved up behind Kennedy as she fought a Bringer and backhanded her into a stack of wine barrels. Rona ran towards her, but Caleb cut her off. She swung the spiked baseball bat at Caleb, but he caught it easily. "Miss, I do believe you have your own problems you should be worrying about." He snapped Rona's arm, sending her reeling back in agony. Caleb chuckled and bent down to pick up a knife from the floor. He tossed it to a nearby Bringer, who swung it around to stab Rona with it. An arrow hit the Bringer's forearm from Xander's bow. "Oh, good! There's more of you." Faith charged at Caleb and Xander joined Connor in defending Buffy. Caleb looked Faith up and down. "Well, you're the other one, aren't you. Your Cain to her Abel. No offense meant to Cain, of course."

Faith threw one knife at him, which he ducked, and she used the other in her attack. Caleb grabbed her arm, twisted it, and crossed it with her other arm. She couldn't move as he squeezed her hands until she was forced to drop the knife. She kneed him in the crotch and Caleb let go of her enough that she could escape. "Never was much for the good book." She backhanded him across the face.

Caleb grabbed Faith's arm on the next punch and twisted it painfully behind her back, causing her to double over and fall to her knees. "Oh, it has its moments. Paul had some good stuff, for instance. But overall I find it a tad complicated. I like to keep things simple." He kicked Faith across the room into a stack of wine barrels, breaking them apart and washing over Faith. "Good folk, bad folk," Lauren swung her sword at Caleb, but he swatted it away and grabbed her face. "Clean folk, dirty folk…." He snapped her neck and dropped her to the ground.

"No!" Molly screamed.

Buffy lifted her head and looked around. "Xander, get them out of here. We have to retreat. Do it." Xander nodded and ran off as Connor helped Buffy to stand. "Your dad and I used to be good at tag teaming bad guys. Let's see if he passed that skill down."

Caleb lifted Molly off the floor by her neck just as Buffy and Connor waded into the Bringers. "What can I say?" Caleb said. "I work in mysterious ways." He stabbed Molly in the gut, dropping her to the ground. "Also some fairly straightforward ones."

Together, Buffy and Connor rushed at Caleb. Connor took his cues from Buffy and they kept him off balance. They managed to avoid his punches and kicks, but Caleb got one in on Connor's chest, sending him flying into the staircase. Enraged, Buffy turned and punched Caleb in the face, sending him flying across the room.

She started to go after him, but Spike pulled her back. "We're all leaving."

Xander helped Kennedy to her feet and began directing the remaining girls towards the stairs as Buffy helped Connor get to his feet. Spike went over to help Rona as Xander called, "Let's go! Come on!"

Caleb grabbed Xander and turned him around. "You're the one who sees everything, aren't you? Well, let's see what we can't do about that." Caleb suddenly plunged his thumb into Xander's left eye, gouging it out. Xander screamed in agony. Connor and Buffy rushed Caleb together, knocking him backward and away from Xander.

"Xander! Come on." Buffy and Connor lifted Xander to his feet and carried him out. Caleb didn't pursue them as they ran.


	8. Empty Places

_**A/N So I've played with the timeline for this story. Just wanted to explain it before we go any further.**_

 _ **The events in First Date, Get It Done, Storyteller, and Lies My Parents Told Me happen between the events of Bring on the Night and Showtime.**_

 _ **While Buffy is in LA after the events of Showtime, the events in Potential and The Killer In Me happen.**_

 _ **Then we pick up with Dirty Girls and continue from there.**_

* * *

Connor sat in Buffy's room holding the phone to his ear. He was on hold waiting for Angel to pick up the phone. Buffy had gone out by herself and she'd been so sad. Connor hated to see her that sad. It had been two days since the failed mission at the vineyard. Xander was still in the hospital while Rona had gotten her arm fixed and had come home the day before.

"Connor, is everything ok?" Angel asked.

"No. Everything is not ok." Connor said. "Dad, she needs you."

"Buffy…. Is she…."

"She's not hurt." He heard his dad breathe a sigh of relief. "Pretty much healed from everything, but…. She led some of the girls and her friends and Faith into a trap. Girls died and Rona got her arm broken. Xander lost an eye…."

"Xander lost an eye?"

"There's this man…. He's really strong…. He set the trap and he killed those girls. He hurt Buffy and gouged out Xander's eye. She left here a little while ago, I don't know where she went, but she's just so sad."

"She's taking it hard." Angel sighed. "I've got…. something I need to take care of, but I'll be on my way as soon as I can."

"Cordelia?"

"That's been taken care of."

"What happened?"

"We'll talk about it later, son."

"Ok."

"Do you like Sunnydale so far?"

"It's…. strange. But Buffy likes it. She took me around town a couple of days ago and showed me everything. She bought me coffee. I didn't like it very much, but I didn't tell her that because she loves it. I didn't want to hurt her feelings."

Angel chuckled. "I'm sure she could've handled you not liking coffee."

"Did you know she stays at your old house sometimes?"

"Does she?"

"Yeah. She said sometimes she needs to get away and it's where she feels safest even though all kinds of bad stuff happened there."

"She told you about the bad stuff?"

"Yeah. She likes to tell me stories about you two. Faith was surprised that you guys aren't locked up somewhere getting groiny when I told her about your soul being permanent. I'm pretty sure I understood what she was talking about, but…."

"Faith? When did you meet Faith?"

"A few days ago. Willow used her magic and broke her out of jail before she left LA. Faith's here helping Buffy."

"Is Buffy ok with that?"

"Yeah. She told me they haven't always been friends, but they're getting along pretty good."

"Good. I'm glad she has back up. Do me a favor, Connor. Will you go out and track down Buffy? Remind her that she's strong and she will get through this. Tell her I'll be there soon and not to lost hope."

"Yeah. I can do that."

"I'll see you soon, son."

"Bye, dad." Connor hung up and headed for the door. He could hear the girls downstairs talking and decided he didn't want to wade through them to get outside. So, he headed to the windows and ducked out that way. It took him a while to find her, but when he did she was heading towards the hospital.

"Connor." She looked up at him, not entirely shocked that he was there.

"I came to find you."

"I see that."

"I talked to dad. He wanted me to tell you not to lose hope."

"A little late."

"Buffy, it's bad what happened, but they volunteered to go. You're a good leader." She started to protest, but he held up his hand. "Nothing you say will change my mind."

Buffy sighed and continued walking to the hospital.

* * *

Connor stood next to Buffy as she explained to Xander what the doctor had said about his eye. Willow sat on the edge of his bed holding his hand. He looked pale surrounded by medical equipment with his left eye bandaged.

"And that you should expect to see some bruising when you remove the bandages." Buffy finished. "Bruising around the…. Area. The, uh, bone structure and musculature was hit pretty hard."

"Ok." Xander said.

"Um, also they said that the…. the meds may cause you some stomach discomfort, so we're gonna have to be careful with your diet."

"I can't taste anything right now anyway. I keep waiting for my other senses to improve 50%. Yeah, they should kick in any day now."

"Well, we're looking at a possible release as early as tonight. Um, we're just waiting for your labs to get back, and Dr. Kallet said that should be a couple of hours."

"That's great."

"Ok. Um, I think we're all caught up then." Buffy looked at Willow and gestured with the files the red head and Giles had gotten from the police. "Thank you for this. This was, um, really great work."

"Oh. I thought we were gonna….There were gonna be card games." Willow said.

"Oh, no, I just…. I should really get back. I want to get everyone started on this. I think we're really close to something."

"It's ok. It's gotta be done." Xander said. "And I might see you tonight, without depth perception, of course, but…. still." He smiled bravely.

Buffy gave him a small smile back before retreating out of the room. Connor nodded at Xander and followed Buffy. She was quiet the whole way back to the house. Connor really thought that she would be happy that Angel was coming, but she hadn't said anything about it since he'd told her on the way to the hospital. He wished he knew her better so he knew how to cheer her up.

"Hey, who's here?" She called out as they walked through the front door.

Dawn walked into the foyer. "Hey, Buffy. Hi Connor. How's Xander?" Faith, Kennedy, and Amanda came into the dining room from the kitchen.

Buffy put on a brave face, even giving them a bit of a smile. "He's doing really well. He's ready to come home, I think." She put the file down on the table.

"Whatcha got?" Faith asked.

"Info that Giles and Willow were able to pull off the police database. We figured with Caleb's, you know, overt religiosity thing if we wanna learn more about him, let's find out where he's been."

Faith took the pages Buffy offered her and read from them. "'Incidents of violence and vandalism connected to California religious institutions in the last 10 years.' Looks like this gives us a place to start."

"Yeah. I figure we start with California. We don't find anything there, we'll expand the search. But a guy like Caleb didn't just get in the game. He's been playing for a while, and I wanna know where. Whatever it takes." Buffy looked at Connor and Dawn. "You two good to help?"

"Well, I was gonna do lots and lots of homework, but darn the luck, they went and canceled school, so looks like I got the time." Dawn said.

"Good. Connor?"

"I've never really done research before, but I can try." Connor said.

"That's all I'm asking." Buffy sat down and scooted some of the papers to the chair next to her. Connor took the hint and sat down.

"Hey, Buffy," Dawn asked. "How was Xander's mood, you know, exactly? And did you get a chance to talk to the doctor about the meds? Because it seemed like…."

"Hey, pipsqueak," Faith said, noticing Buffy's tense body language. "Why don't you go get some of the stuff you've already gotten from Giles?"

"Or, um, we can talk about this later, maybe." Buffy made a sound of approval, but didn't look at Dawn. "Yeah. I'll be right back."

Buffy turned to Connor. "Try to find anything that looks like Caleb, his church, his ring…."

"His ability to render a Slayer useless in just one punch." Kennedy said. Buffy and Faith both frowned at her. "I didn't…. That was stupid. I don't know why I said that."

"Uh, it's ok." Buffy said. "Um…. You know, I…. I have to go to the school to pick up the rest of my stuff."

"I really didn't mean…."

"It's fine. Really, it's fine. Don't worry about it. Hey, uh…. isn't Anya doing that thing for you guys today?"  
"Yeah. We were. We probably should head down there now."

"Ok. I'll be back soon." Kennedy and Amanda headed back downstairs. Buffy looked at Faith. "See that everyone else gets started on this."

"Yeah." Faith said, giving Buffy a concerned look.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Connor asked as Buffy headed for the door.

"No. Stay here and help them. I'll be back." She ducked out of the door before anything else could say anything.

"Don't worry, kid." Faith said. "She'll bounce back. She always does. Just…. Give her some time."

* * *

Angel walked into the new Sunnydale High School and wandered through the empty hallways. Sunnydale had emptied with people fleeing from the coming storm. He could feel it in the air telling him to get out. He had left LA just after the sun had gone down. Buffy hadn't been home. The only one he could see or hear in the house had been Giles. Instead of going inside, he'd just left and gone in search of her. Her scent had led him to the school.

He rounded a corner to find broken glass and Buffy lying face down on the ground among the debris. "Buffy!" Angel ran over to her and turned her over. She was still breathing. He brushed away the broken glass and lifted her into his arms. Looking around cautiously, he stepped into the office with the broken window and moved beyond into the principal's office. He swept the things off the desk there and laid her down. She started to come around and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Buffy…."

Her eyes focused on him. "Angel?"

"Hey."

"When…."

"Just now. What happened?"

She looked around for a moment as she sat up. "Uh…. Caleb showed up."

"The man Connor was telling me about?"

"Able to render a Slayer useless in one punch? Yeah. That's him." She shook her head angrily and instantly regretted it. "I should've been more prepared." Buffy looked up at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Connor said you needed me. Do you not want me here?"

She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound so…. Harsh. I'm just angry at myself."

"You shouldn't be."

"Shouldn't I? I got those girls killed. I knew it was a trap and I walked them right in there."

"Buffy, this is a war. There will be casualties."  
"That doesn't comfort me."

"Sorry. It's all I've got right now."

"What happened with not-Cordelia?"

"She gave birth to a Power That Was."

"Wow."

"I killed it just after it was born, but…. Cordy's in a coma."

Buffy blinked at him for a moment. "How did you know it was a Power That Was?"

"Research and a little torture."

"The usual way, then." Buffy turned and got off the desk, wavering slightly. Angel reached out and helped her to stand. "Thanks."

"So, what's on the agenda tonight?"

"Uh, I think Caleb accidentally showed me his hand. He kept making big noises about this place, but…. There's no one here guarding it. No Bringers. No Uber-vamps. Nothing. He just came here to talk at me and then…. Throw me through a window and part of a wall."

"To talk at you? About what?"

She looked up him, an idea forming in her eyes. "About the Seal and the Hellmouth."

"What Seal?"

Buffy grabbed his hand and led him down to the basement of the school. She opened the door to the room where the Seal of Danzalthar was once again unburied. "This Seal. It's got some crazy mojo. It opens if you feed it blood."

"Where are the Bringers?"

"Exactly!"

"I'm not following."

"Why did Caleb come here and make all that noise about this place, but there's no one here guarding it? They're all out at that vineyard."

"They're hiding something."

"I'm thinking yes."

"You want to go in again."

"I think I have to."

"Now?"

"No. I need to see what those police files dug up and then gather the troops." She led the way out of the room and back out of the basement. Angel drove them back to her house in silence. It was clear she was thinking hard about the upcoming raid on the vineyard. When they got to the house, she went in first calling, "Hey guys, how's it…. going?"

Giles came out of the dining room. "Buffy. Are you hurt? Angel?"

"Hey." Angel said, giving a small wave.

"Caleb came back looking for seconds." Buffy said.

"My God, is h-he…." Giles started.

"Still able to make me see cartoon birdies all around my head? You betcha. The short lack of consciousness was nice. I feel rested."

"And Angel?"

"Came down to help." Angel said. "Found her at the school."

"How did those police files work out?" Buffy asked. "Were they helpful?"  
"Uh…. yes. Very much so, I think. Um…. there's evidence that Caleb may have established a foothold up north."

"That's great. That's…."

"I, um…. I sent Spike to look into it."

"Spike? Is this a mission from which you intend Spike to return alive?"

"Yes. I sent Andrew with him."

"Again I ask the question."

"Buffy, you weren't here. Decisions have to be made in your absence."

"Yeah, well, those are the ones that have been scaring me."

"I did what I thought was right."

"You sent away one of the two people that's been watching my back."

"We're all watching your back."

"Funny…. that's not really what it feels like."

"Buffy…."

"Where did everybody go? Where's Connor?"

"What?"

"Connor. Faith. The girls. Where are they?"

"Um…. Faith thought that the girls could do with some time off their studies. I…. I thought…. She took them to the Bronze. Connor too."

Buffy shook her head as she rolled her eyes. She turned and walked out the front door. Angel looked between her and Giles before rushing out after Buffy. "What was that about?"

"I allowed the Initiative to take the chip out of Spike's head and Giles tried to have him killed."

"Giles did? Are you sure there's not more to that story?"

"Robin Wood, the principal at the high school and my ex-boss…. His mother was the Slayer that Spike killed in the 70s. He and Giles teamed up to kill Spike. Giles thought he was doing what needed to be done because 'Spike's a liability, Buffy. He refuses to see it and so do you. Angel left here because he realized how harmful your relationship with him was. Spike lacks such self-awareness.'" Buffy glanced up at him. "I'd watch your back now that you're here. Giles might try to off you, too."

"Spike is…."

"Oh god! Not you too!"

"Just hear me out, ok? The Spike that I know…. He's not a good person. He's evil."

"He's changed."

"Because he has a soul now?"

"Yes."

"I would have to see it to believe it."

"You will. If he comes back alive from Giles' mission."

"Who's Andrew?"

"Do you remember the guy that tried to sic the hellhounds on the prom?"

"I remember you mentioning it that night."

"Andrew is his little brother. He's a pest, but sometimes he's useful."

"You seem to collect those." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry. Reverted to the Spike discussion."

"Are you just gonna come here and go all Dawson on me every time I have a boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend!?"

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "He's not. But…. He is in my heart."  
"That'll end well."

"What was the highlight of our relationship? When you broke up with me or when I killed you? Or when I released your soulless half in a dream and then he proceeded to torment and try to beat me to death in the real world?" He snorted. "You know, we really don't have time for the conversation this conversation is leading to."

"I know. I know! We promised we would sit down and talk once all of this was over."

"And that still stands." She reached over and took his hand, giving it a squeeze.

They made it to the Bronze only to hear the sounds of a fight in the alleyway. The two of them rounded the corner to see Kennedy, Amanda and Faith fighting a group of police officers. Faith grabbed a club and knocked the last one standing into a wall by his throat.

"Faith!" Buffy cried. "What are you doing?"

"Just blowing off steam." Faith looked around at the downed cops. "Well, it started that way. Turned when the cops went evil on us. Hey, Angel."

"Faith." Angel said.

Dawn, Connor, Chao-Ahn, Rona, and the other girls filed out of the club. "Dad!" Connor said, walking over to stand with his father.

"Girls, go home." Buffy snapped. "I need to talk to Faith for a minute."

"Buffy, we weren't…." Dawn started.

"Dawn, you, too. Go." Dawn and the potentials walked away, leaving Angel and Connor with Buffy. Buffy rounded on Faith. "What is this?"

"They needed a break, all right?" Faith said. "They've been running themselves into the ground. Things just got out of hand."

"Taking a break is one thing…. I get blowing off steam…. but they were fighting! And those girls were drunk! What were you thinking?!"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Yeah, what if someone had gotten hurt?"

"They didn't."

"Faith, I need to know that these girls are gonna be safe when I'm not around."

"No one got hurt, B. Look, you don't even know these girls. Maybe you should have a little more confidence in 'em. Let them mess up sometimes, you know, get down and dirty. How the hell else are they gonna learn?"

"Learning from your mistakes is one thing. But you don't throw children into…."

"They're not children."

"That really isn't the point."

"Yeah, what about the vineyard?"

"What?"

"How safe were they when you dragged them off to meet Caleb? How safe was Rona or Amanda or Molly?"

Buffy suddenly punched Faith in the face, knocking her down to the ground. Angel and Connor looked between the two Slayers for a moment. Faith waved them away and they followed Buffy out of the alley.

"Buffy," Connor said as they caught up to the angry blonde a block from the Bronze. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder to stop her. "I was keeping an eye on the girls. And so was Faith. She took their drinks away from them until those cops came into the place. They forced Faith outside and then blocked us from going out to help her. I don't know what exactly happened in the alley, but Faith was defending herself. You shouldn't be mad at her."

Buffy stared at Connor for a long moment, then started walking again. Connor looked at Angel for help and Angel sighed. "Buffy, I get that you're upset…."

"Of course I'm upset!" Buffy snapped.

"It's not like she meant to get jumped by the cops." Angel reached out and stopped her again, fully aware that she might turn and deck him. Thankfully, she didn't. "Buffy, Faith was letting them blow off steam. Something you've had to do before, too."

"The last time I blew off steam with Faith, she killed someone."

"I get that, but you've got to remember that's not who she is anymore. Connor is telling you she was looking out for them tonight and things got out of hand when the cops attacked her. That wasn't her fault. You've got to take a breath and step off the warpath for a minute."

"I can't step off the warpath, Angel. There's an apocalypse coming and the army that I have is not ready for it. The First is a step ahead of us."

"We'll catch up once we go back to that vineyard."

"We're going back?" Connor asked.

"Yes." Buffy said. "We have to. They've got to be hiding something there."

"I thought it was just a trap."

"It was, but Caleb came to the school today and he…."

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. He just wanted to talk and then knock me unconscious. But in all that talking, he slipped up. No one is guarding the Hellmouth. The badness comes from there and that Seal, but he and the Bringers are…."

"At the vineyard!"

"Exactly."

"We've got to go in and hit them hard. They won't expect us to show up again."

"My thinking exactly."

"When did you get so smart?" Angel joked, gently nudging his son.

Connor gave a shrug. "They're throwing a welcome home thing for Xander tonight. I heard Dawn and Kennedy planning it. For the record, I don't like Kennedy."

"Why?"

"She's bossy. And kind of rude. She acts like she's already a Slayer. But we can tell everyone about the plan since they'll all be in one room already."

"Good plan." Buffy reached out a squeezed Connor's upper arm affectionately.

* * *

There was a yellow banner painted with WELCOME HOME in big red letters hanging over the fireplace in Buffy's living room. Giles, Dawn, and the potentials were all gathered in the living room while Buffy, Angel, and Connor stood in the dining room. Willow escorted Xander into the house with Faith and Robin Wood behind them.

"Oh, god." Xander said, seeing the banner and the gathering.

"We didn't have time to do more." Kennedy said. "You have to pretend there's a big party here."

Dawn walked up to Xander and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "That's fine." He said. "Parties in this house, I usually end up having to…. rebuild something." He spotted Angel standing with Buffy and Connor in the French doors. "Dead Boy."

"I really hate that name." Angel said.

"Welcome home, Xander." Buffy said. "I wanted you to be here for this. I think you'll be interested in what I found out."

"What did you find out?" Willow asked.

"It's about the cellar. Look, I know that night wasn't fun for any of us, but I figured out some things about that place and I realize now what we have to do. We're going back in." Xander sat down heavily in the large armchair while everyone just stared in bewilderment and shock. "Look, I know what you're thinking, but I had a visit at the school today from Caleb."

"Buffy, why didn't you…." Dawn started.

"I'm fine. I mean, it wasn't fun, but I'm fine. I'm better than fine. I…. I figured something out. He kept making all this noise about the school."

"Is it that seal again?" Robin asked.

"Do we need to try shutting it again?" Willow asked.

"No, that's just it. We've spent all this time worrying about the seal and the Hellmouth. Why isn't Caleb guarding them? Why doesn't he have someone there protecting it? Why is he camped out at the vineyard?"

"The bad guys always go where the power is." Angel said.

"Right! So if the seal was so important to Caleb and the First, they would be there right now. They're protecting the vineyard or something at the vineyard. I say it's their power, and I say it's time we go in and take it away from them."

"Or, in the alternative, how 'bout we don't?" Faith said. "I mean, it's a neat theory, B, but I'm not going back in that place, not without proof, and neither should you and neither should they."

"I'm not saying it's gonna be easy…."

"I think Faith had the floor." Robin interrupted.

"Maybe it ends ok the way you wanna play it, but maybe it doesn't." Faith said. "And right now, I don't think I want you playin' the odds."

"Never known you to shy away from a fight." Angel commented.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Kennedy snapped at Angel.

Connor looked at his dad. "That's the one I was talking about." Angel nodded in agreement with his son's assessment of the potential Slayer.  
"Listen," Faith said. "We're fighters here, all of us, but you gotta give me something to fight, something real, not…."

"Windmills." Giles said.

"There is something there." Buffy insisted.

"Maybe. But we can't be sure of that. This is a hell of a lot to ask."

"Too much." Robin said.

Buffy shook her head. "I don't understand this. For 7 years, I've kept us safe by doing this…. Exactly this, making the hard decisions. And now, what? Suddenly you're all acting like you can't trust me?"

"Didn't you say to me today you can't trust us?" Giles said. "Maybe there's something there that should be addressed."

"Is that why you sent Spike away, to ambush me?"

"Oh, come on."

"You know what?" Rona snapped. "I am sick of your deal with this Spike guy. This isn't about him. This is about you. You're being reckless."

"What?" Buffy asked.

"You are! I don't even know you, and I can tell! You are so obsessed with beating Caleb, you are willing to jump into any plan without thinking."

"You need to stand down little girl." Angel growled.

"Angel, you haven't been a part of this." Giles said. " _You_ need to stand down."

"Excuse me?"

"It's ok, Angel." Buffy said, placing her hand on his bicep. "Ignore him." She turned to Rona. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not jumping into any plan without thinking."

"Well, that's how it feels to us." Kennedy said, daring to walk closer to Buffy. "People are dying."

"Kennedy…." Willow started, walking up to her girlfriend.

"Why are you always standing up for her?"

"I'm not."

"What do you mean, you're not?" Buffy asked.

"With everything that's happened," Willow's eyes ticked to Angel for a second. "I…. I'm worried about your judgment."

"This has nothing to do with me being here." Angel growled.

Buffy could tell that both Angel and Connor were getting worked up. She stepped in front of them and addressed the group. "Look, I wish this could be a democracy. I really do. Democracies don't win battles. It's a hard truth, but there has to be a single voice. You need someone to issue orders and be reckless sometimes and not take your feelings into account. You need someone to lead you."

"And it's automatically you?" Anya asked. "You really do think you're better than we are."

"No, I…."

"But we don't know. We don't know if you're actually better. I mean, you came into the world with certain advantages, sure. I mean, that's the legacy. But you didn't earn it. You didn't work for it. You've never had anybody come up to you and say you deserve these things more than anyone else. They were just handed to you. So that doesn't make you better than us. It makes you luckier than us."

"Didn't earn it?" Angel cried. "Are you kidding me? Did she not go face the Master and die at sixteen years old to save the world? Did she not sacrifice herself two years ago to save the world? Has she not faced down apocalypse after apocalypse to keep everyone in this room safe? If that's not earning it, then I don't know what is! From where I'm standing, she has worked for it and earned it." He turned to Buffy. "You deserve these things more than anyone else." He turned to Anya. "There, _I_ said it to her. This doubting her thing you're all doing right now is pure insanity. She is _the best_ there is and that's why she's the leader. That's why she's gotten you all this far."

"But not without a price." Xander said.

"Xander…." Buffy started.

"I'm trying to see your point here, Buff…. but I guess it must be a little bit to my left…. cause I just don't."

"Wasn't it you just a few days ago saying that we need to trust her because she's earned it? See, Anya, Xander even said she's earned it." Connor said. "Or did you not mean any of that, Xander?"

"Look, I'm willing to talk strategy, ok." Buffy said when no one answered Connor. "I'll hear suggestions on how to break this down, but this is the plan. We have to be together on this or we will fail again."

"We are clearly demonstrating that we are not together on this!" Giles yelled.

Buffy's back straightened. "Which is why you have to fall in line! I'm still in charge here."

"Why is that, exactly?" Rona asked.

"Because she's the Slayer." Connor said.

"And isn't Faith a Slayer, too?"

"What?" Faith looked around in surprise. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. So not what I meant. I'm not in charge chick. I think B here needs to just chill out for a little bit, take a siesta or something. But I'm not the one you want."

"Maybe we need a vote to see who wants Faith to have a turn in charge." Kennedy said.

"No." Buffy said.

"No, what?"

"No. You don't get to vote until I've had my chance to pal around, you know, get everybody drunk. See, I didn't get this was a popularity contest. I should have equal time to bake them cookies, braid their hair…."

"Learn their names?" Faith interjected.

"You're just lovin' this, aren't you?" Angel reached out and held Buffy back from Faith.

"You have no idea what I'm feeling."

"Come in here, take everything that I have…. You did it before. Did you tell them that? Did you tell them how you used to kill people for fun? Hey, you guys think that's nifty?"

"Buffy," Angel said, pitching his voice so only she could hear.

"I didn't come here to take anything away from you," Faith said. "But I'm not gonna be your little lapdog, either. I came here to beat the other guy, to do right, however it works. I don't know if I can lead. But the real question is…. Can you follow?"

"So we vote." Robin said.

"I will not watch you just throw away everything that…." Buffy shook her head. "I know I'm right about this. I just need a little time. I can't stay here and watch her lead you into some disaster."

Dawn stood up and walked over to her sister. "Then you can't stay here. Buffy, I love you, but you were right. We have to be together on this. You can't be a part of it. So I need you to leave. I'm sorry, but this is my house, too."

"If she goes, I'm going too." Connor said.

"Ok, bye." Kennedy said.

Angel started forward menacingly, but Buffy and Connor stopped him. They pulled him towards the door. "She's not worth it." Connor said. Angel gave all of them one more glare before following Buffy and Connor.

Faith followed them outside. "Hey. Look, I swear I didn't want it to go this way…."

"Don't." Buffy said.

"I mean it, I…."

"Don't be afraid to lead them. Whether you wanted it or not, their lives are yours. It's only gonna get harder. Protect them, but lead them." Buffy walked off into the night flanked by Angel and Connor.


	9. Touched - End of Days

Angel stoked the fire in the big fireplace of his old mansion while Buffy sat curled up on the couch staring off into space. Connor had gone out to get some food for him and Buffy. The power company had shut down, leaving the entire town of Sunnydale in the dark. Thankfully Angel had had a candle obsession, probably left over from his days before electricity, and there were hundreds of them lit around the house.

"Hey." Angel said, standing up and walking over to her. He sat down beside her and took her hand.

"They kicked me out." Buffy said quietly, the emotions choking her voice off.

"They were scared and they acted out. They'll come around when they realize that you were right after we take whatever Caleb and the First are hiding at the vineyard. I feel like I need to warn you that I'm probably going to punch Xander in his good eye for turning coat the way he did and install some real fear into that Kennedy girl for being so rude."

"What if I'm not right about the vineyard?"

"Please don't tell me you're doubting yourself. Buffy," He turned her towards him. "You are the one thing in my 200 plus years that I have never doubted. Ever. I trust your instincts more than I trust my own." She gave him a disbelieving look. "It's true. For someone so young, you have the most amazing ability to figure out a situation quickly and find a solution even quicker."

"I don't feel very quick tonight." Buffy sighed. "They were right about me. I cut myself off from them…. All of them. I knew I was gonna lose some of them and I didn't…." She shook her head and stood up, pacing angrily towards the fireplace. "You know what? I'm still making excuses. I've always cut myself off. Being the Slayer made me different, but it's my fault I stayed that way. People are always trying to connect to me, and I just slip away."

"That's not even close to true." He stood up and walked over to her. "You did not slip away from me. Or anyone else, for that matter."

"Didn't I? Maybe not before I was dead and buried, but after…."

"You were yanked out of heaven by the very people who should've known better that you weren't in hell. You have every right to be angry about that."

"But to pull away from them like I have?"

"It happens. People grow, they change, their experiences influence who they become. If you feel like you're moving away from your friends, it just means that you're changing, you all are, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"Is that why I underestimated their reaction about going back to the vineyard? I knew they would be angry and scared, but that reaction…."

"Was unwarranted. Those girls, they don't know you. They don't know how amazing you truly are. And if Xander gave a speech telling them how amazing you are only to turn on you a couple of days later…."

"Don't hurt Xander. He's been hurt enough."

"I'm not promising anything." Angel leaned down and kissed Buffy gently. They held onto each other for a long moment, enjoying the familiar feel of the other's lips, before pulling away. Angel cleared his throat and put a little distance between them before it could get too heated. "When Connor gets back, we'll get some food in you two and plan our attack on the vineyard."

"The last time I went in, we had four super-beings and plenty of non-super beings and we still got our asses handed to us."

"Last time you didn't know what you were up against. This time you do and this time you have me."

Connor walked into the room just then from the open garden doors. He had about six paper grocery bags in each hand filled to the brims with food. "The grocery store was raided, but I managed to grab a bunch of stuff."

"I see that." Buffy said.

"Their stock room was still pretty full. I guess the people running away forgot about it."

"Or they were in too much of a hurry to care."

The three of them spread Connor's findings out in front of the fireplace and sorted through everything. He had also managed to find some blood for Angel in the butcher's section. It was well past midnight when Spike walked in through the front door and found the three of them enjoying a picnic. They looked up, startled at his sudden arrival.

"Well, isn't this cozy." Spike said.

"You're back." Buffy said, standing up. Angel and Connor got to their feet as well.

"I'm back. Made a stop at your house looking for you and discovered your so-called friends had staged a mutiny. I expected Angel Jr. to be here with you, but not the big man himself." He walked further into the room, but stopped when he noticed Angel and Connor move closer to Buffy.

"What did you find?" Angel asked.

"Hello to you, too."

"Spike…." Buffy warned.

Spike sighed. "You were right. Caleb is trying to protect something from you. I think you were spot on all the way. I think it's at the vineyard."

"We know all of that. What did you find?"

"An inscription on the wall of a secret room that made Preacher Man go on a killing spree in a monastery. ' _Non tibi est. Ei solae tractare licet._ '"

"'It is not for thee. It is for her alone to wield.'" Angel translated.

"Sounds like a Slayer thing to me."

"Sounds like we definitely need to get a plan in place to hit that vineyard and take what he's hiding from me." Buffy said.

"So, when are we going in?"

"Who said you were invited?" Connor asked.

Buffy glanced at him and saw that Angel was snickering. "Look, I wouldn't hate having more backup on this. If Spike is willing to go in, then he goes in, ok?" Angel and Connor both mumbled their assents and Buffy turned back to Spike. "Where's Andrew?"

"Left him at your house. He ran off to the bathroom just before I hit Faith a bunch of times, and left."

"Really?" Buffy asked. She backtracked sheepishly, "I mean, not that I'm glad, but…."

"Oh, you say the word, and she's a footnote in history. I'll make it look like a painful accident." Spike smiled when she laughed and then looked at Angel. "I suppose you're here to help."

"Among other things." Angel responded.

Spike laughed. "You planning on sticking around this time? Wouldn't that be putting the world you love so much in danger?"

"I am planning to stick around, but I'm not putting anyone in danger."

"Dad's soul is permanent. There's no more loophole." Connor said.

The blonde vampire stood there and blinked in shock for a moment. "Didn't see that one coming, did you?" Angel quipped.

"Please don't fight." Buffy said. "I don't have the energy for it."

Spike nodded at her. "You got what you always wanted. I guess this is where I bow out and give up."

"Guess so." Angel said.

"Angel…." Buffy said.

"Sorry." He looked at Spike. "If you're going to be with us on this, you can stay here. The more the merrier against this Caleb guy is the impression I'm getting."

Spike shrugged out of his leather coat and slung it across the back of the couch. "You're not wrong. Bloke put me through a giant storage barrel of wine with one punch."

"His hits don't get any more fun, either." Buffy said. Spike gave her a questioning look and she shrugged. "Paid me a visit at the school today and knocked me through my office window. It's how I figured out he was hiding something at the vineyard, though."

"I say we strike as soon as possible." Connor said.

Angel noticed Buffy fighting off a yawn. "I say we get some rest and finish planning later."

"I'm good to go." Buffy said, shaking herself.

"You and Connor both haven't slept much from what I gather. Neither have I. We could all do with a little rest."

"Peaches has a point." Spike said. "You've hardly slept a full night in months. Take this time to rest up and we'll figure out an attack plan when we're all awake again."

Buffy sighed. "Ok." She looked at Angel.

He nodded. "Connor, I'll set a room up for you. Spike, your old room is still yours. Buffy, you know where you're going." They shared a small smile before breaking off to their respective bedrooms.

Angel walked into his bedroom a few minutes later to find Buffy sitting at the foot of the bed. She looked up at him and he was across the room in a few strides, pulling her to him. Gripping her thighs, he pulled her upwards and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They fell to the bed, kissing fervently and desperately trying to shed clothing. Buffy rolled them and climbed on top, yanking her top off and tossing it behind her.

Angel sat up and nipped at her collarbone, helping her unhook the clasps on her bra. As soon as she was free from it, he turned them over and stood up. He pulled his sweater off and reached down to undo Buffy's jeans. With a quick pull on the legs, the jeans were discarded on the floor and her underwear followed quickly behind. He took a long moment to enjoy the sight of the woman he loved laying there, naked and waiting for him. He felt the love and joy of it wash through him and the feeling of elation at the fact that his soul stayed put.

"Angel…." Buffy breathed, reaching for him.

He knelt down on the floor and pulled her to the edge of the bed. She gave a sharp intake of breath when his mouth found her center and he smiled as he set to work. Her hands wove their fingers in his hair and urged him on as she arced against him. Just as he sent her over the edge, she reached up and grabbed a pillow to shove over her face and muffle the cries.

Angel chuckled as he stood up and freed himself from his socks, shoes, pants, and underwear. She peeped out from the pillow and gave him a grin. He suddenly found himself pinned against the wall, Buffy kissing him aggressively. He felt a little conflicted about going hard and fast, but at the same time his need to be inside her was overwhelming.

Buffy made the decision for him. She jumped and wrapped her legs around him, using her Slayer speed to reach between them and place him at her opening before pushing down. They both groaned in pleasure and Angel turned them, pressing her against the wall as his hips began to work. He finally managed to grab a shred of self-control and walked them back to the bed. Buffy was still moving on him as he fell back to the sheets. She straddled him and he sat up to keep his lips pressed to anywhere he could reach.

Afterwards, Buffy laid on Angel's chest, ignoring the fine sheet of sweat on both of them. He held her tightly against him and listened to her breathing. They stared into each other's eyes, smiles teasing the corners of their lips. A small part of both of them were scared Willow's spell might not have taken and Angelus would make a sudden appearance.

"I love you, Buffy." Angel said. "More than you could ever realize."

"I have a pretty good idea." Buffy said, turning her head slightly to kiss his chest.

"You still my girl?"

She smiled up at him. "Always."

He leaned his head down and captured her lips with his.

* * *

Buffy woke up and realized her back was spooned against Angel's. His arm was draped around her waist and he was sleeping peacefully. She breathed a sigh of relief that she could still feel his soul deep within the pit of hers. When he was Angelus, that feeling was missing and replaced with a great black void.

For a long moment, she just watched him sleep, turning onto her back and looking up at him. She lightly ran her hand up and down his arm and felt a pool of warmth settle over her insides. He had her back no matter what. Him being here meant more to her than she could ever put into words. Something clicked in her mind and she quietly wriggled away from Angel. Dressing quietly and quickly, Buffy made her way out of the room and headed for the garden doors.

"You're going to the vineyard, aren't you?" Connor asked, startling her. He was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Yes." Buffy said, continuing on her way out the door.

Connor fell into step beside her. "You're not going alone."

"I don't want anyone else I love getting hurt."

"Neither do I. It's why I'm going with you."

"Connor…."

"I'm not arguing about this. I'm going."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You are your father's son."

They left the sleeping vampires behind and made their way through the woods towards the vineyard. It wasn't so imposing in the daylight. You could see a few Bringers milling around the premises and they were easily taken out. The last one, Buffy threw down the steps into the cellar. Caleb was standing near the bottom of the stairs and he looked up, startled.

"Hey. Heard you got something of mine." Buffy said. She trotted down the stairs with Connor at her heels.

"Well, if it ain't the prodigal Slayer and her boyfriend." Caleb said.

Buffy wrinkled her nose at Connor. "Not my boyfriend." She looked around. "Where's it at? You know I'm gonna find it sooner or later."

"No, you're not. I lay one hand on you, and you're just a dead little girl."

"You're not going to lay a hand on her." Connor said.

Caleb took a swing at Buffy, but she ducked back out of the way. Connor caught Caleb's hand and shot his fist out, hitting the supernatural preacher in the chest with all his strength. Buffy somersaulted over Caleb as he fell back from Connor's hit. He tried to grab her, but missed. She and Connor kept him off balance while staying well out of his reach as they looked around the cellar. Nothing stood out as obvious to either of them.

Buffy grabbed Connor and hauled him up onto the wine barrels. They ran across them and deeper into the cellar. Buffy kicked the last one into Caleb's path as he chased after them. It hit him hard enough to break and sent him sprawling across the floor.

Buffy and Connor landed side by side and looked around again, but Caleb was up off the floor and attacking again. "Connor, I'll distract. You search."

Connor dove out of the way of Caleb and Buffy flipped backwards, landing on her feet a little ways away from him. Caleb lunged at her, but Buffy ran up the wall, across the rafter, and landed on top of some more wine barrels. Buffy jumped back to the ground, pulling Caleb away from Connor, and he turned to swing at her again. She ducked again and worked to keep him off balance and away from Connor. Caleb walked toward Buffy, thinking he had her cornered, but she ducked at the last second and Caleb's fist went through a rack of wine bottles. She used the rack to jump over his head.

"You whore!" Caleb cried.

"You really should watch your language." Buffy said. "If someone didn't know you, they might think you were a woman-hating jerk."

"Buffy!" Connor grabbed her arm and pulled her towards a stack of wine barrels. He kicked one towards Caleb to reveal an open hatch in the floor. Caleb was getting up from being hit by the flying wine barrel just as Buffy and Connor jumped down into the hatch. They heard wine barrels fall on top of it, but Buffy's attention was focused on the rock in front of them.

"What is that?" Connor asked.

Buffy didn't answer. The thing…. A weapon of some sort, she guessed…. Was humming inside of her head. Her eyes raked over the wide, rounded blade at one end, across the handle with the v-shaped blades in the middle, and down to the pointed end of the shaft.

Caleb yanked open the hatch above them and walked down the stairs into the room. Connor moved to stand next to Buffy. Her eyes never left the humming weapon. "So, you found it." Caleb said. "Not impressed. Cause the question now, girly girl, is can you pry it from solid rock before I come over there…." Buffy reached out and grabbed the handle, easily pulling the weapon out of the stone. She suddenly felt…. Whole. The humming in her head had moved out into her muscles and she felt like every bit of her was vibrating with the raw power of the Slayer. "Hmm. Darn." Connor looked at Caleb in surprise. The man sounded scared. "Now, before you go hurting yourself with that thing, why don't you do yourself a courtesy and hand it over now?"

"Yeah?" Buffy turned the weapon over. "You want it?"

"You don't even know what you got there." Caleb said nervously as Buffy turned the weapon in her hand.

"I know you're backing away."

"You think wielding some 2-sided doo-dad's gonna make a difference?"

"Looks like it to me." Connor said.

"If I let her go, she slices me open with that thing." Caleb said, looking off to the side.

A voice that sounded like Buffy's floated through the room. "Faith go boom."

"I'm not letting her out of here with that thing."

Buffy realized Caleb wasn't making a move towards them. She grabbed Connor's hand and hauled him up the stairs. The two of them ran out of the cellar and didn't stop until they were well into the woods.

"Did you say something about Faith going boom?" Connor asked.

"No. But I heard it, too. Must've been the First." Buffy said. "It's incorporeal and is only seen by the people it wants to see it."

"I don't know what incorporeal means."

"Uh…. It can't be touched. Like smoke. You can see it, you just can't touch it."

"Oh." Connor nodded at the weapon in her hand. "What is that thing?"

Buffy lifted it up and looked at it in awe. "I have no idea. We've got to find Faith, though. Something tells me 'Faith go boom' doesn't mean anything good."

* * *

Buffy's living room had been turned into an impromptu triage unit. She and Connor had gone back to her house to find out that Faith had led a raid on a supposed weapon's cache the Bringers were storing. There had been a bomb and then three Turok-Han had been sent to finish them off. Buffy had turned all three of them to dust and then she and Connor had helped the ones that had lived to escape. Not the potentials that hadn't gone were treating the potentials hurt in the explosion.

"Will, come here." Buffy ordered. "She's losing a lot of blood."

"Got it." Willow came over to the girl Buffy had been helping.

Connor came in carrying an unconscious Faith through the front door. Giles and Xander were behind him with Kennedy. Buffy gestured up the stairs. "Take her up to my room." She instructed Connor.

"I hope we're in time." Xander said.

"Is she ok?" Amanda asked. "Is she gonna be ok?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Kennedy said. She looked at Buffy. "Right?"

"Mind her head." Giles said to Connor.

"I've got it." Connor snapped as he headed up the stairs. Xander and Giles followed him up.

"I'll be up in a second." Buffy called.

"You guys heal fast, right? You Slayers?" Kennedy asked.

"Yeah."

"So…. She'll be ok?"

"I don't know."

"What's with the axe thing?" Caridad asked.

"She took it from Caleb." Connor said, walking back down. "From the vineyard that no one believed her about." He headed into the kitchen to find a first aid kit.

Buffy smiled slightly at Connor's snappy words. "It might be important."

"Let's hope." Vi said.

"I think we got punished." Amanda said.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"We, uh…. We followed her. And it was…."

"It didn't work out." Vi finished.

"You guys, it was a trap." Buffy said. "It's not her fault. That could've just as easily happened to me."

"So are you…. Are you, like, back?" Caridad asked.

"I don't know. I guess I'm not leaving." Connor came back in and handed her the kit. "Thanks."

"So, we got a plan now, or anything?" Kennedy asked.

"Yeah, there's a plan. Get ready. Time's up." Buffy and Connor headed upstairs. There were a few of the potentials standing around the edge of the room staring at Faith as Giles and Xander examined her.

"Is she breathing ok?" Xander asked.

Giles nodded. "Still unconscious, though."

"We've still got work to do." Buffy said to Giles. He nodded and let Xander take over. Willow was walking up the stairs when they exited the room. Buffy nodded at her and led them into Willow's room. Connor shut the door behind them, closing it on a couple of prying ears.

"Where did you get that?" Willow asked.

"The vineyard."

"Buffy was right." Connor said. "He was hiding something and that something was that weapon."

"When I'm holding it I feel…. Something. When I'm not…. It's humming at me."

"Humming?" Giles asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I think it's maybe some kind of scythe. The only thing I know for sure is it made Caleb back off in a hurry."

"So it's true." Willow joked. "Scythe matters."

"And, ignoring that, I'd just like to point out this is really quite ingenious." Giles said, taking the offered weapon from Buffy.

"Kills strong bodies 3 ways." Buffy said.

"And you say you sense something when you hold it?"

"It's strong. And I knew it belonged to me. I just knew it."

"In addition to being ancient, it's clearly mystical." Giles said.

"Yeah, I figured that one out when I King Arthured it out of the stone."

"Maybe it's some kind of slayer weapon." Connor said.

"I can't imagine how something like this could exist without my having heard of it." Giles said.

"Well, the good guys are not traditionally known for their communication skills." Buffy said pointedly.

"Right. Um…. Any chance that it might be something other than a tool for killing things?"

"The First's guys clearly wanted it out of that stone. It's not just a tool. It's important. We need to find out whatever we can. Who made it, when, why? Does it have a name? I don't know, a credit report? Just find out fast."

"We'll start work immediately."

"Yeah, don't worry, Buff." Willow said. "We'll find out everything there is to know." She sat down and opened her laptop.

"Good, because right now, that thing's all we've got going for us."

* * *

Connor walked into the mansion later that day to find Angel pacing furiously in front of the fireplace. Spike was standing at the garden doors at the edge of the sunlight, clearly ready to follow the path of the darkness until he could leave. Both vampires turned expectantly to the door and Angel breathed a sigh of relief.

"Connor!" He rushed over and hugged him tightly. "Where have you been? Where's Buffy?"

"Chill out." Connor said, backing up. "She's fine. Probably telling Xander to take Dawn and get as far away from here as possible right now."

"Xander?" Spike asked.  
"She's at her house?" Angel asked.

Connor shrugged. "Yeah."

"What happened? Where did you two go?"

"We went to the vineyard. She was going to go alone, but I wouldn't let her."

"Why would she go alone?" Angel asked.

"Has she gone daft?" Spike looked accusingly at Angel. "What did you do to her?"

"What? I didn't…."

"She didn't want you guys getting hurt." Connor interrupted. "I didn't want her to get hurt. So, I went with her." He looked at Angel. "She said that was something you would do."

"Caleb…?"

"Still breathing, unfortunately, but he's scared of her now."

"Why?"

"Was he hiding something like she thought?" Spike asked.

"Yeah." Connor nodded enthusiastically. "It was this really cool weapon thing."

"A weapon?" Angel asked.

"She thinks it's a scythe and she's pretty sure it's hers. She said it hums in her head when she's not touching it and it makes her insides get all tingly and powerful when she's holding it."

"'It is not for thee. It is for her alone to wield.' It's a weapon for the Slayer."

"Looks like. Willow and Giles are doing research on it. She killed three Uber-Vamps with it when we saved Faith and the potentials." Connor turned and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Angel asked, following his son.

"Back to Buffy's house. She wanted me to come here and let you guys know she's ok."

"What are we supposed to do?"

Connor shrugged. "It'll be dark soon. We're not going anywhere before it gets dark I don't think, so just meet us over there." He dodged out the front door before the two vampires could shootanymore questions at him.

* * *

Connor found Buffy in her room with Faith. The dark-haired Slayer had woken up and was occupying Buffy's bed. Faith held the scythe in front of her with both hands as Buffy and Connor stood beside the bed.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Buffy asked.

"Damn." Faith said. "And damn, that's something."

"I know."

"It's old. It's strong, and it feels like…. like it's mine." Faith set the scythe on the bed beside her, scooting it towards Buffy. "I guess that means it's yours."

"It belongs to the Slayer." Buffy picked up the scythe, seeming to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Slayer in charge, which, I'm guessing, is you."

Buffy sat down on the edge of the bed. "I honestly don't know. Does it matter?"

"It never mattered to me. Somebody has to lead. Let's vote for Chao-Ahn. It's harder to lead people into a deathtrap if you don't speak English."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I'm really not looking for forgiveness."

"You're not?"

"What do you want me to say? I blew it."

"You didn't blow it."

"Tell that to…."

"People die. You lead them into battle, they're gonna die. It doesn't matter how ready you are or how smart you are. War is about death. Needless, stupid death."

"So, here's the laugh riot. My whole life I've been a loner."

Buffy and Connor exchanged confused looks. "That's the funny part?" Connor asked.

"Did we miss something?" Buffy added.

"I'm trying to…." Faith gestured in front of her.

"Sorry. Sorry. Go."

"No ties, no buddies, no relationships that lasted longer than…. well, Robin lasted pretty long. Boy's got stamina."

"Principal Wood? And you? And in my…." Buffy stood up and paced away from the bed.

"Don't tell me you two got wriggly."

"No, no, no, no. We're just good friends. Or mortal enemies, depending on which day of the…. Was that the funny part?"

"Ok. The point. Me, by myself all the time. I'm looking at you, everything you have, and, I don't know, jealous. Then there I am. Everybody's looking to me, trusting me to lead them, and I've never felt so alone in my entire life."

"Yeah." Buffy nodded, knowing exactly what Faith felt.

"And that's you every day, isn't it?"

"I love my friends. I'm very grateful for them. But that's the price. Being a Slayer."

"There's only supposed to be one. Maybe that's why you and I can never get along. We're not supposed to exist together."

"Also, you went evil and were killing people."

"Good point. Also a factor."

"But you're right. I mean, I…. I guess everyone's alone. But being a Slayer? There's a burden we can't share."

"And no one else can feel it?" Faith looked at Connor for confirmation and he shook his head. "Thank God we're hot chicks with superpowers."

"Takes the edge off." Connor cleared his throat and looked away. Both women laughed at him. Buffy hefted the scythe and walked over to him, patting his arm. "Ok, come on. We're going to investigate this tomb thing that Giles and Willow found."

"Ok." Connor gave Faith a wave as he followed Buffy downstairs. The sun had gone down and as they made their way down the stairs, Angel and Spike walked through the front door.

"Honey, you're home." Spike said.

"Yeah." Buffy said.

"And you did it. Fulfilled your mission. Found the Holy Grail. Or the Holy Hand Grenade, or whatever the hell that is."

"Right now we're going with scythe." She twirled it impressively. "You guys like?"

"Well, pointy and wooden is not exactly the look I wanna know better, but it does have flair. Can see why a girl would ditch a couple of fellas for one of these."

"I'm sorry about that."

"It doesn't matter. You're back in the bosom. All's forgiven."

"Great. Thanks." Buffy looked at Angel and smiled slightly.

"I'll just…. Go back down to my hole." Spike said, seeing the looks being shared between Buffy and Angel. "Left my fags down there." He headed for the kitchen, leaving Buffy and Connor with Angel.

"Are you guys going somewhere?" Angel asked.

"Yeah." Buffy said. "Giles and Willow found something about a tomb on unconsecrated ground. I need to find out what this is and why I have it."

"Is this a mission I can join you on or…."

"Yeah. No, you're more than welcome." She gestured at the front door and Angel reached over to hold it open. "Thanks."


	10. Chosen

Connor took Buffy's left side and Angel took her right as they made their way through Sunnydale. They walked in silence for a few blocks before Angel held out his hand. Buffy smiled and handed him the scythe. He began to inspect it closely, admiring the craftmanship. "This is the thing Caleb was so anxious to keep away from you?"

"That it is." Buffy confirmed.

"Maybe you should've had Spike swing by the vineyard to make sure he's sitting tight." Buffy shot Angel an annoyed look and took the scythe back. "Sorry. I've been cooped up with him all day coming up with worst case scenarios. He's a drama queen."

"You wanna be the pot or the kettle?" Angel laughed and Buffy's annoyance with his snide remarks about Spike melted. His laugh really was her favorite sound in the whole world.

"You guys aren't going to start making out, right?" Connor asked. "Cause Buffy's told me about your version of patrol together."

Buffy reached over and playfully punched Connor's shoulder. "Shut up."

"I just figured with us going to a graveyard and the looks you two keep giving each other…."

"We're not going to make out." Angel said. "Wait, we're headed to a graveyard?"

"Yeah." Buffy said. "Do you remember that big pyramid tomb at the back of Shady Hill?"

"That's where we're going?"

"Apparently it's connected to this thing." Buffy lifted the scythe for a moment. "Can you hear it?" Angel shook his head. "Just checking."

"So…. that thing talks to you?"

"It doesn't talk to me, but…. I can hear it in my head when I'm not holding it. It's like a low hum. When I hold it," She looked down at the handle clutched in her right hand. "I feel…. Whole, I guess. That humming kind of spreads through me and I can feel every bit of my Slayer-ness."

"That's pretty incredible."

"I don't think it's just a pretty weapon, though. It can't be. Caleb and the First really didn't want me to have it and then they just…. Backed off when I got my hands on it."

"You should've seen his face." Connor said. "He was terrified of her."

"He should be." Angel said. "Buffy's pretty fierce."

"I'm getting that."

The three of them walked into the cemetery and headed for the very back near the woods. Buffy opened the gate, wincing at the screech the rusted metal gave, and headed towards the pyramid. She turned to look at Angel and Connor. "We'll be out here. Yell if you need us." Angel nodded encouragingly at her and she turned to kick the door in. With one last look at the two men, she headed inside.

"Why aren't we going with her?" Connor asked.

"It's a Slayer thing." Angel said. "If she needs us, she'll call us."

"What are we doing until then?"

"Waiting."

"Oh."

They stood there in silence for a few minutes, both of them waiting for any signal from Buffy. Finally, Angel turned to look at his son. "I'm sorry about what happened with Cordelia."

Connor shrugged. "It wasn't your fault. She was evil."

Angel blinked for a moment, not expecting that answer from his son. "I know, but…. It wasn't right what happened to you. That thing that took over Cordelia…. It manipulated you. Used you. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you better."

"I wouldn't let you. I didn't want you to protect me."

Angel nodded, but his attention was suddenly on the doorway to the tomb. He rushed down the stairs to find Buffy on the ground struggling to stand up and Caleb with the scythe poised to cut off her head.

"I was kind of hoping it'd go this way." Caleb said.

"Hey!" Angel punched Caleb with all his force, sending the preacher stumbling back. Connor helped Buffy to her feet and he and Angel flanked her, getting ready to take on Caleb. She turned around, though, and pushed them both back. Angel nodded in understand. "One of those things you have to finish yourself?"

"Really kinda is." Buffy said, grateful that he understood.

Angel gently pulled Connor back toward a pillar where they were out of the way and able to enjoy the coming show. He looked at Caleb and smiled. "You are so gonna lose."

Buffy attacked Caleb first. They were almost evenly matched. Caleb managed to take the scythe away from Buffy again. He punched her, sending her careening into a wall. She turned just as he charged toward her with the wooden end of the scythe. Buffy ducked and the scythe lodged in the stone wall where her head had been. She pulled the scythe out of the wall as she kicked Caleb away from her.

"God, I never get tired of watching this." Angel said.

"She's pretty awesome." Connor agreed.

Buffy smiled, hearing their little conversation. She ducked a punch and swung the scythe in an arc and slicing through Caleb's stomach. He stumbled back, laughing and wagging his finger at her, before falling to the floor. Buffy looked at him and nodded before turning to Angel. "See? Under control."

Angel smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "Get a room." Connor joked.

"You've only had him for a few weeks and he's gained a sense of humor." Angel said, lightly punching Connor's arm.

"He's a good kid." Buffy said. "Just needed some room to grow."

"Can we get out of here?" Connor asked.

"Yes!" Buffy hefted her scythe and turned for the door.

Angel, who was bringing up the rear, was suddenly hit over the head with a large cat statue. He went tumbling across the floor to reveal Caleb standing there with black blood streaming from his eyes and nose as he raised the statue. "Are you ready to finish this, bitch?!"

He swung the statue at Buffy's head, but she blocked it with her scythe. The hit knocked her backwards and she hit the ground in a roll. Connor moved in to help, but Buffy waved him away as she popped to her feet. "Check on your dad." She swung the scythe at Caleb's head again, but he blocked it with the cat statue before knocking her to the ground. He threw the statue at her, but she dodged it. "Ok, how many times do I have to kill you? Ballpark figure."

"You understand nothing." Caleb said.

Buffy swung her scythe at Caleb again, but he grabbed it, holding it still, and punched her twice in the face. While she was still holding tightly to the scythe, he lifted her into the air and pinned her against the ceiling. Buffy struggled to get away, fighting to keep the sharp blades in the middle of the handle. Caleb finally let her fall to the floor as he walked around her in a circle. She managed to get to her feet and he picked her up by her neck.

"You think you have power over me?" Caleb growled. Buffy broke free and kicked him backwards. "Stupid girl." He got to his feet as Buffy grabbed her scythe. "You'll never stop me. You don't have the ba…." Buffy cut his words off by swinging the blade of her scythe between his legs.

"Who does nowadays?" Buffy used her significant strength to pull the scythe up through his body, making one Caleb into two very dead Calebs.

Connor helped Angel up off the floor. "Ok, now I'm pissed." Angel said. "Where is he?"

Buffy and Connor each looked at one half of Caleb on either side of Buffy. "He had to split." Buffy said as she burst into giggles. Angel laughed too, shaking his head at her joke.

Connor suddenly laughed and they looked at him. "Sorry. I just got that."

That caused Buffy and Angel to start laughing again with Connor joining in. After a few minutes, they headed out of the tomb and back out into the fresh night air. "Hey, who was the dead woman?" Angel asked.

"Uh, she said she was a Guardian. She watched the Watchers." Buffy said. "She told me she was one of the Guardians who put the scythe in the stone."

"She's just been hiding out in the little pyramid all this time?"

"I guess. She also said that this thing is a powerful weapon, but I've already got weapons."

"What does that mean?" Connor asked.

"No clue. I want to check in with Giles and Willow to let them know what I've found, then I want to go get some rest."

"Sounds like a plan." Angel said.

They walked through the front door a little while later to find Dawn waiting by the front door. She kicked the wide-eyed Buffy in the shin. "Ow." Buffy griped.

"Dumbass." Dawn retorted.

Buffy looked accusingly at Xander at his spot in the dining room with Anya, Giles, and Willow. "Don't look at me." He said. "This is a Summers' thing. It's all very violent."

Buffy sighed and looked at Dawn. "If you get killed, I'm telling."

"Did you find out anything about the scythe?" Willow asked.

"It slices, dices, and makes julienne preacher."

"Caleb?" Giles asked.

"She cut him in half." Connor said proudly.

"All right!" Willow cried.

"He had that coming." Anya said.

"Hey, party in my eye socket and everyone's invited." Everyone turned confusing stares on Xander. "Sometimes I shouldn't say words." He said sheepishly.

Buffy smiled sympathetically. "I'm going to go upstairs and pack a bag. Connor, Angel, and I will be at the mansion if you need us."

* * *

Buffy and Angel sat curled up on the couch in the living room in front of a roaring fire. Connor had gone to bed, giving them their privacy. Angel gripped her hand in his, bringing her knuckles to his lips every so often. Every time his lips made contact, he said a silent prayer of thanks to Willow for giving him back his happiness.

"What are you thinking?" Buffy asked, looking up at him.

"I'm not thinking much of anything." Angel said. "Except how happy I am."

"Even with the end of the world looming?"

"Even with." He confirmed. "I might have something to help you."

"What do you mean?" Angel got up and went over to his duffel bag. He rifled around the contents and pulled out a large, brown accordion envelope. "What is that?"

"Did Connor tell you that I had business to attend to before I came down here?"

"He mentioned it. I just figured it had something to do with evil-Cordelia."

"It did. Sort of." He lifted the file up in display for a moment. "This came from Wolfram and Hart. They offered me a way to help you stop this apocalypse."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Apparently stopping the Power That Was that used Cordy…. It stopped world peace. Completely against their agenda. This," Again, he lifted the file up briefly in display. "Was to sweeten their deal with me to take over the LA branch."

"The branch that's tried to kill you for years now?"

"Yes."

"And you took this deal? To help me?"

"Not just for that reason. I want to take them down from the inside. Get in their inner workings and put a wrench in it." He reached into the large file. "I, uh, brought something else as well." Pulling out a large amulet on a chain, he held it up for Buffy to see. The amulet was about two inches around with a large crystal in the middle of a silver starburst setting.

"I can already tell you, I have nothing that goes with that."

"It's not for you."

"Splainy?"

"I don't know everything. It's very powerful and probably very dangerous. It has a purifying power, a cleansing power, possibly scrubbing bubbles. The translation is, uh…. Anyway, it bestows strength to the right person who wears it."

"And the right person is?"

"Someone ensouled, but stronger than human. A champion. As in me."

"Or me."

"No. I don't know nearly enough about this to risk you wearing it. Besides, you got that real cool scythe going for you."

"I can't risk you, Angel."

"Guess that leaves me." Spike said from the garden doorway. Buffy and Angel turned to look at him. "Someone ensouled, but stronger than human? You won't risk him, we won't risk you, so that leaves me."

"It's volatile." Buffy said. "We don't know…."

"You'll be needing someone strong to bear it, then. You planning on giving it to Andrew?"

"The amulet was meant to be worn by a champion." Angel said.

"Spike may not be the most conventional champion, but…." Buffy stood up and took the amulet from Angel. "He counts." She walked over to Spike and handed him the amulet.

"Been called a lot of things in my time." Spike said. Buffy gave his arm a squeeze before turning to go to the bedroom. "Buffy." She turned and he gave Angel a slightly nervous look. "Look, I…. I just want you to be happy. As much as I want it, I know it'll never be with me." He stood up a little straighter and looked the taller vampire in the eye. "Angel, you've got yourself a great girl. Don't hurt her ever again or I'll make you pay for it even if it kills me. She's the best thing that will ever happen to you and she's giving you another chance at happiness. Don't muck it up." Spike turned on his heels and headed back out into the night.

Angel blinked a few times, not sure what to say for a long moment. Buffy broke the silence, though. "Ok, then. That was…. Easy."

"Did he just…." Angel shook his head. "But, Spike…."

"Has changed." Buffy reached out a took his hand. "Come on. Let's get some sleep."

* * *

It was in the early morning hours that Buffy found herself popping awake. She turned her head and looked around the dark room, feeling incredibly calm. The scythe was laying just under her side of the bed, easily accessible if needed. It hummed softly in her head, letting her know it was ready for her to complete the circuit.

Angel was lying beside her on his side, facing her, with his hand on her hip. He was sound asleep and looked peaceful. She reached out and lightly stroked a finger down his jawline, causing him to smile in his sleep. With a smile of her own, she slipped out of bed, put on Angel's shirt, and headed out of the room.

She found herself in the moonlit garden, enjoying the feel of the cool stone on her bare legs. The night sky above twinkled with stars and she looked up at it, taking it all in. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she found Caleb standing there.

"Pretty, ain't it?" He asked.

Buffy wasn't worried. It was just the First in Caleb's form. He couldn't touch her. "You're not him."

"No, you killed him right and proper. Terrible loss. This man was my good right arm. Course, it don't pain me too much. Don't need an arm. Got an army."

"An army of vampires. However will I fight…."

"Every day our numbers swell. But then you do have an army of your own. Some thirty-odd pimply-faced girls, don't know the pointy end of a stake. Maybe I should call this off."

"Have you ever considered a cool name? I mean, since you're incorporeal and basically powerless. How about 'The Taunter?' Strikes fear in the heart…."

"I will overrun this Earth. And when my army outnumbers the humans on this Earth, the scales will tip and I will be made flesh."

"Talk on. I'm not afraid of you."

"Then why aren't you asleep in your dead lover's arms? Cause he can't help you. Nor Faith, nor your friends, certainly not your wanna-slay brigade. None of those girlies will ever know real power unless you're dead. You know the drill," The First morphed into Buffy's form. "Into every generation, a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world. She alone will have the strength and skill to…. There's that word again. What you are. How you'll die. Alone. Where's your snappy comeback?"

"You're right."

"Hmm. Not your best."

Connor appeared in the doorway and looked around. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah." She smiled.

"Were you talking to someone?"

Buffy chuckled. "Myself."

"Buffy?" Angel asked, walking out into the garden. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Yeah." She stood up. "I just realized something. Something that really never occurred to me before. We're gonna win."

"How do you figure?"

Buffy smiled and walked back into the bedroom. She picked up the scythe and came back out. "Because I have this and I have Willow." Angel and Connor exchanged confused glances.

* * *

Giles, Dawn, Faith, Xander, Anya, and Willow all stared incredulously at Buffy. Angel and Connor stood on either side of her, smiling proudly. They had discussed the plan before coming over to the house. Now they were convened in Buffy's room at her house laying the plan out.

"What do you think?" Buffy asked.

"That depends." Xander said. "Are you in any way kidding?"

"You don't think it's a good idea?"

"It's pretty radical, B." Faith said.

"It's a lot more than that." Giles said. "Buffy, what you said, it…. It flies in the face of everything we've ever…. Every generation has ever done in the fight against evil. I think it's bloody brilliant."

"You mean that?"

"If you want my opinion."

"Whoa, hey." Willow said. "Not to poop on the party here, but I'm the guy that's gonna have to pull this thing off."

"It is beaucoup d'mojo." Faith said.

"This goes beyond anything I've ever done. It's a total loss of control, and not in a nice, wholesome, my girlfriend has a pierced tongue kind of way."

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you could do it." Buffy said.

"I'm not sure that I'm stable enough."

"You can do this, Willow." Angel said.

"We'll get the coven on the line, and we'll find out how they can help." Giles offered.

"Oh!" Dawn cried, nodding. "Pierced tongue."

"Dawn needs to do a research thing." Buffy yelped.

"Yes, you do." Giles agreed.

"It's cool." Dawn sighed, heading for the door. "Watcher junior to the library."

"I'll go dig up my sources. Quite literally, actually." Giles followed Dawn out of the room.

"Come on, let's go assemble the cannon fodder." Anya said, pulling Xander to his feet.

"That's not what we're calling them, sweetie." Xander said, following Anya out.

"Not to their faces. What, am I insensitive?"

"Your friends are a real hoot." Connor said to Buffy.

"You should've known them when they were your age." Angel said.

Buffy laughed as she handed the scythe over to Willow. "Ready to make your big speech to the troops?" Faith asked.

"Think they'll kick me out for it?" Buffy asked. She may have had a playful edge to her voice, but Angel knew she wasn't kidding. She didn't really trust anyone outside of him, Connor, and Spike.

They moved downstairs where everyone was waiting. Angelstayed at her back, offering her a comforting presence if she needed it. The girls all turned their attention to her and she straightened her back. "I hate this. I hate being here. I hate that you have to be here. I hate that there'sevil, and that I was chosen to fight it. I wish, a whole lot of the time, that I hadn't been. I know a lot of you wish I hadn't been either. But this isn't about wishes. This is about choices. I believe we can beat this evil. Not when it comes, not when its army is ready, now. Tomorrow morning I'm opening the Seal. I'm going down into the Hellmouth, and I'm finishing this once and for all. Right now you're asking yourself, 'what makes this different? What makes us anything more than a bunch of girls being picked off one by one?' It's true none of you have the power that Faith and I do. So here's the part where you make a choice: What if you could have that power now? In every generation, one Slayer is born because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. This woman," Buffy pointed to Willow. "Is more powerful than all of them combined." Thered headlet out a nervous whimper. "So I say we change the rule. I say my power, should be our power. Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny. From now on, every girl in the world who might be aSlayer, will be a Slayer. Every girl who could have thepower, will have the power. Can stand up, will stand up. Slayers…. Every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?"

* * *

Angel played with the Claddagh ring on Buffy's finger, gently twirling it around. They laid in bed, facing each other, and waited for the dawn to come. Neither of them could sleep for long periods of time that night. So, all through the night they alternated between dozing and making love.

"Where did you find it?" Angel asked.

Buffy looked down at the ring. "It was in that drawer." She gestured at the nightstand on Angel's side of the bed. "I found it when I was cleaning up."

"I didn't know you came here after I left."

"Yeah. It was my way of being near you. All summer long after you left, I kept seeing you in random places. Tore my heart out each time."

"I saw you, too. In LA." He wove his fingers with hers. "Tore my heart out each time."

"Were we stupid to be apart that long?"

"Maybe. But we found our way back here."

She looked up at him. "Angel, I…."

"What?"

"I want to come help you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if we survive today, I want to leave Sunnydale with you and I want to help you with this thing against Wolfram and Hart."

"Why?"

She sighed. "You know why Connor and I hit it off so fast? Because I understand him. I understand how he's feeling. The only time I've felt wanted by my friends is when they need something from me. It's gotten to the point where I wonder some days if they brought me back from the dead because they actually thought they were saving me from hell or if it was because they were scared and wanted me here to protect them. I really wasn't lying when I said I was tired. This is the reason. I shouldn't have to wonder why my friends want me around. I shouldn't be worried they'll kick me out of my own house when I make another hard decision they don't like. With you…. I know you want me no matter what. I don't wonder where my place is with you. Well, I mean, I do now that we can…. Do this, but…."

He gave her a small smile. "I know what you meant." His fingers gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'll always want you, Buffy. Even when we couldn't…. Do this, I wanted you." He lifted her chin gently. "I'm going to ask you something I know I haven't asked you nearly enough and I don't think anyone else really has either. What do _you_ want?"

Buffy took in a breath as she contemplated her answer. "What I want is to be happy. I want to choose my own path for once. I want to choose you and everything that comes with you."

Angel reached down and pulled her leg on his hip, sliding himself against her. "Then that's what you'll have." He pushed into her, making her gasp in pleasure. "I'll be here for as long as you want me."

"How's forever?" Buffy asked between the slow gentle thrusts of their hips. "Does forever work for you?"

"Forever works just fine with me." He closed the short distance between their lips.

* * *

The big yellow school bus pulled to a stop outside the high school. It was loaded to the brim with potentials and Scoobies. The back two seats on the right side of the bus had been converted to a light tight box to keep Spike and Angel safe from the sun. Robin Wood led Faith, Dawn, Giles, Spike, and the potentials into the school with Connor, Buffy, and Angel bringing up the rear. Angel had to smile at Buffy when he noticed the light reflect off the cross necklace he had given her the first time they'd met in a dark alley.

"Welcome to Sunnydale High." Robin said. "There's no running in the halls, no yelling, no gum chewing. Apart from that, there's only one rule. If they move, kill them."

Buffy moved to the head of the group. "Ok, potentials, in the basement. Follow Faith and Spike." Faith and Spike headed down the hallway towards the basement with the potentials following.

"If you have to go to the bathroom, it's to your left." Xander called after them. "If you don't have to go to the bathroom, picture what you're about to face. Better to go now."

"Willow, my office is straight through there." Robin said, gesturing to the office beside them.

"It's right over the seal." Buffy said.

"I'll start getting you set up." Kennedy took the bag from Willow that she'd brought with all of her supplies.

"Thanks." Willow said.

"Ok, civilians." Robin said. "The vampires get upstairs, we have three areas they could get through to another building and then down into the sewers. Down the hall in the atrium, the north hall here, and the primary target, through the lounge straight to the science building. Now odds are, most of them will head there."

"Teams of 2 then." Giles said. "I suggest you and I take the lounge."

"I concur." Robin agreed.

"Xander, I want you with Dawn." Buffy said.

"I concur." Xander giggled.

"We'll check out the atrium." Dawn said.

"So that leaves me and the dungeon master in the north hall?" Anya asked.

"We will defend it with our very lives." Andrew declared.

"Yes, we will defend it with his very life."

"And don't be afraid to use him as a human shield." Xander said.

"Good, yes, thanks."

"I just want to say how proud I am to die for this very special cause with you guys." Andrew pulled out a piece of notebook paper out of his pocket. "There's some, um…. There's people I'd like to thank, both good and evil. Um, a shout out to my brother Tucker, who gave me the inspiration to summon demons and also…."

"Nobody cares, you little monkey." Anya said, grabbing Andrew by the arm and hauling him down the hallway.

"I'm gonna check out our field of engagement." Dawn said.

Buffy went after her. "Dawn…."

"No. Anything you say is gonna sound like good-bye." Dawn turned and kept walking.

Buffy watched her sister for a moment before walking back over to the group still standing in the hallway. It was only her, Connor, Angel, Willow, Xander, and Giles now. Four of the people that had been with her since she had moved to this tiny town on top of a Hellmouth and a teenager that was quickly becoming like a son to her.

"So, what do you guys want to do tomorrow?" Connor asked.

"Nothing strenuous." Willow said.

"Well, mini-golf is always the first thing that comes to mind." Xander said.

"I think we can do better than that." Giles argued.

"I was thinking about shopping." Buffy said. "As per usual."

"Oh! There's an Arden B. in the new mall!" Willow offered.

"I could use a few items." Angel said.

"Well, now aren't we gonna discuss this? Save the world to go to the mall?" Giles asked.

"I'm having a wicked shoe craving." Buffy said.

"Aren't you on the patch?" Xander asked.

"Those never work." Willow said.

"Here I am, invisible to the eye…." Giles turned and headed down the hallway to meet up with Robin. "The world is doomed."

"Giles," Buffy said, stopping him. "I, uh…. When this is over, I'm leaving."

"What do you mean?" Xander asked.

"Leaving where?" Willow asked.

"I'm moving back to LA to be with Angel." Buffy took his hand. "I'm going to follow my arrow to happiness and it's pointing at him."

"What about Sunnydale?" Giles asked. "Who'll protect it?"

"Well, if everything goes right, then the Hellmouth will be closed." Angel said.

"But…." Xander started.

Connor cut him off. "It's what she wants and we need to respect that."

Willow took a deep breath. "If that's what you want, Buffy…."

"It is." Buffy confirmed.

"Then I hope you and Angel will be very happy together. It's why I took out the loophole. I'm happy you can finally be happy."

Xander sighed. "I haven't been very fair to either of you over the years. If this is what you want, Buff, then you should go for it. We shouldn't ever hold you back from your happiness. I'm sorry if we have."

"Thank you." Buffy looked at Angel and Connor. The three of them headed down the hallway together, moving towards the basement. Faith, Spike, and the potentials stood around the Seal of Danzalthar.

Faith held out a knife to Buffy as she took her place next the darker Slayer. "You first, B."

Buffy sighed and took the knife. She sliced a shallow cut into the palm of her hand before handing the knife back to Faith. Once all the potentials had cut their hands, they held their bleeding hands out over the seal. It activated with a bright, glowing light and began to sink into the ground, forming a staircase into the Hellmouth itself.

Buffy went in first, not even hesitating. Angel and Connor flanked her with Faith and Spike behind them. They entered a cavern and heard the growls and rumblings of the Hellmouth.

"Not to be a buzzkill," Spike said, poking at the amulet around his neck. "But my fabulous accessory isn't exactly tingling with power."

"I'm not worried." Buffy said.

"I'm getting zero juice here and I look like Elizabeth Taylor."

"Cheer up, Liz." Faith said, beating Angel to the punchline. She laughed at his glare. "Willow's big spell doesn't work, it won't matter what you wear."

Buffy came to a stop at the edge of a cliff and her jaw dropped. Thousands upon thousands of Turok-Han were mobbed below them. "I'm not worried." She squeaked.

"Really?" Rona asked. "Cause I'm flashing back to Xander's whole bathroom speech."

"Buffy…." Connor started.

"I'm not worried." Buffy said more forcefully. "As long as Willow can work her spell before they…." The Turok-Han looked up at them. "See us." The snarling Turok-Han army rushed toward the cliff. Buffy and Angel exchanged worried glances, but they held their ground. "Willow…."

Suddenly a wind only the two Slayers and the potentials could feel ran through the cavern. They all glowed golden for a moment, shining with the power of the Slayer. Buffy felt her own power raise up a few notches. Her strength felt even greater now and she got an extra burst of energy. There would probably be some repercussions from the power boost later, but she didn't have time to think about it as the wave of ancient vampires swarmed them.

All around her, the new Slayers fought with everything they had. Angel and Connor tried to stay close to her. The three of them formed a deadly dance, turning the vampires to dust. Kennedy came running into the Hellmouth and Buffy felt the hum of the scythe in her head.

"Buffy! Catch!" Kennedy yelled, throwing the scythe.

Buffy didn't even have to look at it to catch the scythe in her hands. She turned and her already deadly dance became even deadlier. Turok-Han burst into dust faster around her. The vampires' numbers increased and some of them made it up out of the Hellmouth. She said a silent prayer for the ones upstairs ready to hold back the Turok-Han.

"Buffy!" Spike called. "Whatever this thing does, I think it's…." He let out a groan of pain.

"Keep the line together!" Buffy ordered. "Drive them to the edge! We can't let them do…." A sudden fire of pain in her stomach stopped her words. She looked down to see the tip of a sword being withdrawn from behind. With a groan, she stumbled forward and collapsed to the ground.

"Buffy!" Angel yelled, fighting his way to her.

Faith yelled her name and made it to Buffy's side. "Hold the line." Buffy gasped, handing the scythe to Faith. Faith nodded and took the scythe, going back into the battle.

"Just hang on, Buffy." Angel said, keeping the Turok-Han away from her. Connor came over to aide his father in protecting Buffy.

"Oh no…." Buffy looked up to see the First standing there with a wound that reflected her own on its body. "Ow! Mommy, this mortal wound is all…. Itchy. You pulled a nice trick. You came pretty close to smacking me down. What more do you want?"

"I want you…. To get out of my face." Buffy growled as she stood back up.

Rona, who had the scythe now, spotted Buffy standing up and threw the scythe to her. Buffy easily caught it and swung it around, knocking three Turok-Han off the cliff. Faith surged up from under a pile of vampires and rejoined the fight. Spike gasped and stumbled backward clutching his chest.

"Oh, bollocks." He said just as abright light shot up from the amulet. The light blew a hole in the ceiling of the cavern, shooting up through the floor of the Principal's office, past Willow, and through to the open sky where the light turned a warm orange color. "Buffy!"

"Spike!" Buffy yelled. Before she could run over to him, the amulet refracted the orange light out into the Hellmouth like rays of sunshine. "Angel, look out!" She tackled Angel away before the light could hit him. The amulet worked like a laser of sun and the Turok-Han began dusting throughout the Hellmouth when the light hit them. The ground started shaking around them.

"Everybody out, now!" Faith yelled.

Connor threw a blanket over Angel and rushed him towards the stairs with the Slayers. Buffy ran over to Spike's side. "I can feel it, Buffy." He said.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"My soul. It's really there. Kind of stings." He looked over at her. "Go on, then."

"No. No, you've done enough. You could still…."

"No, you've beat them back. It's for me to do the cleanup."

The walls were crumbling around them and Faith ran back down. "Buffy, come on!"

"Gotta move, lamb. I think it's fair to say school's out for bloody summer."

"Spike…." Buffy said.

"I mean it! I gotta do this."

Buffy laced her fingers through Spike's. "I love you."

"No, you don't. You love him more than life itself and he's up there waiting for you. But thanks for saying it." He let go of her hand and pushed her up the stairs. "Now go! I wanna see how it ends."

* * *

The school building exploded as Faith ran out from the cloud of smoke and jumped into the bus. "Where's Buffy?" Connor asked as the bus drove away. "No! Buffy's not on here!" He turned to the back of the bus and stared desperately out the window.

"Connor, do you see her?" Angel asked from his dark cubby of seats.

He started to answer no, but he finally spotted Buffy running along the rooftops next to the bus. "I see her!" The buildings were collapsing behind her as she tried to catch up to the bus. "Come on, Buffy!" She leapt from building to building, carrying the scythe in a vice grip. She finally found her opening and jumped, landing on top of the bus. Connor looked back to see Sunnydale turning into a massive crater.

Finally, Faith said, "Ease off. We're clear."

The bus screeched to a halt and Connor jumped out of the back door. He caught Buffy as she jumped down off the top of the bus and embraced her tightly. "She's ok, dad!" Connor called as the others got off the bus.

"Worried about me, huh?" Buffy joked.

"I don't understand." Giles said, looking at the crater that was once Sunnydale. "Who did this?"

"Spike."

The _Welcome to Sunnydale_ sign was perched precariously on the edge of the crater. As they watched, the sign teetered a little before falling backwards into the crater. Buffy let out a chuckle.

"Looks like the Hellmouth is officially closed for business." Faith said.

"There is another one in Cleveland." Giles said. "Not to spoil the moment."

"We saved the world." Xander said.  
"We changed the world." Willow said. "I can feel them, Buffy. All over. Slayers are awakening everywhere."

"We'll have to find them." Dawn said.

"We will."

"Yes, because the mall was actually in Sunnydale, so there's no hope of going there tomorrow." Giles quipped.

"We destroyed the mall? I fought on the wrong side." Dawn groaned.

"All those shops gone." Xander said. "The Gap, Starbucks, Toys R Us. Who will remember all those landmarks unless we tell the world about them?"

"We have a lot of work ahead of us." Giles said.

"Can I push him in?" Faith asked, giving Giles a playful shove.

"You've got my vote." Willow said.

"I just want to sleep, yo, for like a week."

"I guess we all could, if we wanted to." Dawn said.

"Yeah. The First is scrunched, so…." Willow turned to Buffy. "What do you think we should do, Buffy?"

Faith tossed an arm around Buffy's shoulder. "Yeah, you're not the one and only chosen anymore. Just gotta live like a person. How's that feel?"

"Yeah, Buffy. What are we gonna do now?" Dawn asked.

Buffy looked at Connor with a smile and then turned to Faith. "Would you guys mind giving Connor, Angel, and I a lift to LA? We've got a new chapter of our lives to start."


	11. Conviction

Buffy walked through the city, sticking close to the dark alleyways. It had been two weeks since the battle of Sunnydale. The Slayers and the Scoobies had taken up temporary residence at the Hyperion until they could figure out their game plan. She, Connor, and Angel had moved into the penthouse that Wolfram and Hart had given their new CEO. None of them were super comfortable there yet.

Angel's friends had been excited that Buffy was joining the team. Despite her and Gunn's rocky start, they were becoming friends. Fred was happy to have another woman on the team again. Wesley had actually cracked a joke about his and Buffy's past relationship as stuffy Watcher and wayward Slayer. He was happy to get the chance to work with her again. Most of all, though, Angel's friends were delighted that Angel was finally able to be happy with the woman he had given his entire heart and soul to.

Buffy had decided to get away and go for a patrol. Wolfram and Hart could be suffocating, as they had discovered. There was always someone there ready to do whatever was needed at any given moment. If the law firm wasn't evil, it would be kind of fun. Mostly, Buffy just wondered who was being sacrificed to get her a latte.

"Hey." Buffy jumped as Angel appeared beside her. "Sorry."

"It's ok." She shrugged. "Guess I wasn't paying much attention. What are you doing here?"

"Thought I would join your patrol. Sounded like fun."

She laughed. "We've really got to teach you the proper definition of fun."

"Probably."

A woman's scream rang out two blocks over and Buffy and Angel took off running. "Please, you don't have to do this." The woman begged. "I can get you money. You don't have…. Somebody help!" She started to scream again just as Buffy made it around the corner.

Angel moved past her and tackled the vampire away from the woman. "Doesn't sound like the lady's interested. Maybe you're coming off as too needy."

The vampire kicked out at Angel and knocked him a few feet back. Buffy took over and kicked the vampire in the ribs with a satisfying crunch of bone. Angel joined the fight and they batted the surprisingly agile vampire between them before Buffy managed to kick it backwards onto Angel's waiting stake. They grinned at each other as the vampire burst into dust.

"What ju…. I don't understand." The woman said.

"It's really best if you don't try." Buffy said.

"Just get yourself home and stay out of dark alleys. You'll be all right." Angel added.

"But…. who are you?" The woman called after them as they headed for the mouth of the alley.

"It doesn't matter." Angel answered. Buffy was about to make a comment on his dramatic aloofness, but a dozen cars screeched to a halt before them. A group of armed men dressed completely in black commando gear blocked the alley's exit and they were pointing guns in their direction.

"Angel!" A man yelled before grabbing his radio. "Area's secure. Angel is unharmed, as is Miss Summers. Hostiles contained. Sweep area and confirm." The man pulled off his ski mask. "Angel, sir."

People dressed in power suits stepped out of the cars and walked towards them. "Angel!"

"We got report of your movement and came for backup." The lead commando said.

"But…." Angel started.

"I'm Agent Hauser. I run your operations team."

"Angel!" The little lawyer cried, running up to them. "Hi. Glad we caught you. Really would…." He turned to another lawyer and someone holding a notary stamp. "Get the forms from her." He turned back to Angel. "Really would prefer it if you didn't leave a rescue scenario until we had a chance to control the scene. Of course, that is your decision, sir, but…."

"How did you guys…."

"Tracking monitor in your lapel. And what a time-saver, too, huh?"

The notary stamp holder was talking to the woman they had just rescued. "This is to confirm that you have been rescued by Angel, C.E.O. and President of Wolfram and Hart, and his girlfriend, Buffy Summers, and this is to indemnify Wolfram and Hart…."

The lawyer began pushing Buffy and Angel in the direction of the girl. "If we can just get a couple pictures of you three, that would be great. Now, uh, the vampire that you terminated, he actually did work for one of your clients. So, but, hey! First week, no one will squawk, ok?"  
"You run a law firm?" The woman asked.

"No. I mean…." Angel looked at Buffy for help as the cameras flashed. "Well, sort of. Well, just lately."

"I need you to initial here concerning your immortal soul." The notary guy said

The woman signed the document. "You did this for publicity?"

"No! I help…. The helpless."

"Would you like me to bring your car around, sir?" The lawyer asked. "Or anything at all? Would you like a mocha, Miss Summers? Latte? Decaf?"

* * *

Buffy stood at the bathroom mirror brushing her hair out. "You're saying you want to give me a paycheck from this place? For doing what? Being your girlfriend?"

"No. That would make you a prostitute. A very, _very_ well-paid prostitute." Angel said from his perch on the counter next to her. She shot him a glare. "Look, all I'm saying is: you're here, you're planning to help, so…. You might as well get paid, too. Haven't you always been annoyed that saving the world lacked a paycheck?"

"Yes, but this paycheck you're offering? It comes with an insane amount of strings. And probably blood. And evil clothing that's bugged with tracking devices." She groaned. "I'm going to have to throw out all those beautiful clothes that showed up in my closet over the last week now, aren't I?"

"Is there such a thing as co-C.E.O.?"  
"I don't know."

"As C.E.O. and President, couldn't I make that a thing?"

"I don't know."

"You wanted to help me bring this place down, so…." He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck. "Help me. Be my co-C.E.O."

"No fair." Buffy breathed as he nipped at her neck and earlobe. "You're using sex to coerce me into an evil paycheck."

His hand drifted up the front of her shirt, fingers tracing the ribs just under her breasts. "Is it working?"

"Maybe." She turned in his arms and he lifted her to sit on the counter, working his way down her neck. "I don't really know how to run a law firm, though." Her legs wrapped around his waist.

"I don't either." Angel muttered from her clavicle. "We'll figure it out."

He moved back up her neck and their lips met in what promised to be a fiery kiss, but a loud knock at the bedroom door followed by, "Dad! Buffy!" killed it quickly. "Why is there a Playstation out here with the TV? That wasn't here last night, right?"

Buffy laughed as Angel groaned. "Hey, you're the one that wanted kids." She joked, kissing him quickly. "We'll finish this later. Right now," She gently pushed him backwards and hopped off the counter. "I promised Connor we could go see a movie today and go sightseeing since he's never actually seen LA. So, I need to finish getting ready."

Angel pouted slightly. "I want to go."

"One, it's daytime out. And two, you've got a law firm to run."

"You do too."

"Hey, I said it was _maybe_ working. I didn't accept your offer. Right now, I'm content to be your girlfriend and not get paid for that."

Angel sighed. "At least promise me that you'll think about it."

"That I can definitely do." She reached up and kissed him again. "Go make some evil lives miserable. I'll see you later."

* * *

Connor and Buffy roamed the Santa Monica pier and enjoyed the noises of the world around them. They'd enjoyed the rides and the games. Connor had won a stuffed pig for Buffy while she had gone to the bathroom. He said it looked like her Mr. Gordo and he wanted her to have him since the real Mr. Gordo was now gone.

"I'm still sorry about your home." Connor said again.

She shrugged. "I know. I am, too, but honestly, that place hadn't felt like home in a long time."

"The only home I ever really knew was a cave in a hell dimension, but…." He trailed off.

"But…?" She nudged him with her shoulder.

"But you and dad…. The three of us together…. It's starting to feel like home. Like…."

"Family?"

"Yeah. It's honestly the first time I've actually felt that way about him."

Buffy smiled up at Connor. "That's good, though. Your father loves you."

"I know. I'm getting that. He loves you, too."

"Yes, that he does." She stopped walking and he turned to look at her. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"I sense a but to this whole conversation."

Connor sighed. "I guess I'm just worried that now that we're back here and he's going back to work with them, it'll go back to the way it was before when they all hated me. In Sunnydale, no one really knew me or the things I'd done. Or if they did, they didn't act like it. Here…. They still look at me with _that_ look."

"Connor, you messed up. What you did to your dad was horrible, but Angel forgave you. Gunn, Fred, Lorne…. They'll come around, too. You're not the same person that left LA with me all those weeks ago. You've just got to show them that."

"How?"

"Just be you, Connor. You're a good kid. And," She took his arm and started walking again. "If they don't come around, I'll dangle them over the balcony of our penthouse by their feet until they do." He laughed and shook his head as they continued on.

* * *

Buffy and Connor walked into the conference room carrying bags of Chinese takeout. Angel had called and said they would be working late going over the files his liaison to the Senior Partners had left them. Connor had suggested bringing them food since it was past dinner time.

"Oh, thank you, sugar dumpling!" Lorne cried.

"Don't thank me. This was all Connor's idea." Buffy said.

"Thanks, man." Gunn said, descending on the proffered bags with Wesley and Fred.

Angel walked over and kissed Buffy happily, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Thank you both for this."

"How's it going?" Buffy asked, looking at the scattered piles of file folders and papers spilling off the conference table and out of the surrounding boxes.

Angel generously made room on two of the chairs that had started collecting files so Buffy and Connor could sit down. "It's, uh…."

"We're in over our heads." Fred said.

"So, it's a Hellmouth full of scary dawn-of-time vampires bad?" Connor asked.  
"Might as well be." Wesley said.

Connor shrugged. "We've faced that and lived to tell the tale."

"Sunnydale didn't." Buffy said.

"But still…. We've got this." He looked at Buffy as the others gave him a confused look. "What can we do to help?"

"You want to help us?" Fred asked.

"Connor's gotten used to research, I think." Buffy said. "We did a lot of that back in Sunnydale."

"But he wants to help us."

"I told you guys going with Buffy would be good for him." Angel said, clapping a hand on his son's shoulder with a proud smile. "Of course you guys can help us. We're not actually researching. Just going through the files and getting to know our…. Clients."

"Oh." Connor said. "That sounds…. Less fun."

"Trust me. It's even less fun than that." Gunn said, digging into his pint of beef lo mein.

"Anybody interesting so far?" Buffy asked, sitting down and picking up some of the files in front of her.

"Apparently old Joe Kennedy tried to get out of his deal with the firm." Lorne said.

"That explains a lot." Angel said, sitting down next to Buffy.

"Yeah, but George, Senior, he read the fine print. There's no one these guys don't have a piece of."

"Here's a winner," Gunn said. "Corbin Fries. On trial for smuggling Asian girls in for cheap labor and prostitution. Been charged with drugs, gun running, nothing stuck."

"And that's one of our human clients." Wesley said, looking over Gunn's shoulder.

"Looks like the trial's not going too well this time."

"Hmm, first good news all day." Angel said.

Gunn closed the file and looked at the piles around him. "I can't even remember which pile is which."

"I'll get my secretary to go through it in the morning." Angel paused. "Do I have a secretary?"

"I imagine they'll find you someone who can stomach the idea of working for the side of the righteous." Wesley offered.

"My impression is a lot of these guys are just opportunistic." Gunn said. "They'll go with the flow."

"You do realize that you'll have to go through the staff here and make sure there aren't any die-hard evildoers plotting our deaths." Buffy said.

"And here I was, worrying about the clients." Wesley sighed.

"We're doing the right thing…. Right?" Angel asked.

"Well, uh…. We're doing it tomorrow, exalted one." Lorne said. "My horns are falling asleep."

"Yeah. You guys enjoy your dinner and get some rest."

"What about you?" Fred asked.

"I'll work a while yet. Go on."

"I'll stay." Buffy offered, picking up a container of crab Rangoon. "I've got energy to spare."

"I'll stay, too." Connor said. "Don't want this food to go to waste."

Angel looked at Buffy and Connor as the others filed out of the room. "You guys don't have to stay."

"I want to." Buffy said. "I seriously have way too much energy these days. I think that Slayer spell did it to me."

"You haven't been sleeping much the last couple of weeks." Angel agreed, grabbing a pint of General Tso chicken. "Also, your punches are packing a little more of a wallop these days."

"Could you sound any older?" Connor joked.

Buffy laughed and Angel shook his head at his son. "What did you two do today?"

"We saw a movie before spending the afternoon at the Santa Monica pier. It was fun."

"Connor won me a stuffed pig that kind of looks like Mr. Gordo." Buffy added.

"That was nice of you, son. She loved that pig."

"I know. That's why I got it for her." Connor said with his mouth full. He swallowed his food. "I didn't like that she lost all her stuff in Sunnydale."

"I don't like it either. I wish there was a way to get some of it back."

"The most important things I owned came with me." Buffy said. "I've got my ring," She twirled the Claddagh ring on her finger around. "My cross necklace, and my memories. The only thing I wish I could replace are the pictures of my mom. I don't want to forget what she looked like."

"I'll take care of that." Angel offered.

"How?"

"I'll figure something out." He smiled at her and Buffy leaned over to kiss him.

"So, tell me about this paycheck. How much are we talking?"

"You're in?"

"How much are we talking? If I'm going to sell my soul and have every move I make tracked, the number better be high for it."

"I think I can match my figure."

"How much is your figure?"

Angel stood up and walked back to his office. Buffy followed him, leaving Connor in the conference room with the food. He went to his desk and pulled out a large file. "Here, this is the contract I signed."

"You didn't look at the numbers?"

"I wasn't in this for the money." Buffy lifted a skeptical eyebrow at him. "I'm not, but it's a nice perk. I can take my girlfriend out for nice dinners and evenings away."

"Smooth." She reached the page with Angel's salary and her eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god. That's, uh…. That's a lot of zeroes."

"Is it?"

"Did you not look at this thing before you signed it?"

"Honestly?" He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, no. They offered me information to help you and I saw it as a chance to do some real good by taking this place down from the inside."

Buffy nodded. "And we will." She set down the folder. "Ok, I'm in. Hand me a contract and I'll sign."

"Are you sure?"

"Now you're iffy about it?"

"I just want you to be sure. Once you're in this, you're in. I don't know if there's any backing out of that contract."

She walked over to Angel, taking his hands. "This is what I want. You and me, shoulder to shoulder, fighting the good fight together. Like we were meant to do all along."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "I'll get Wesley on your contract."

"What about this liaison to the Senior Partners? Shouldn't we be going through him?"

"It's not a him and I don't trust her as far as a teacup chihuahua could throw her."

"A her, huh? A pretty her?"

"I don't know. I was more focused on getting rid of her. She's rude." Buffy grinned. "What?"

"Nothing. You just make me happy."

Angel smiled and pulled her into his arms. "You make me happy, too."

"Yuck, get a room." Connor said from the doorway. He held a bag full of Chinese food. "I'm gonna take my food to the apartment."

"I thought you were going to help go through the files."

"Yeah, but I have no idea what I'm looking at and I don't work here. Besides, I figured you guys were about to abandon me cause of all the sappy stuff happening in here."

Angel glanced at Buffy still in his arms. "We weren't…." He released her. "We were coming back."

"It's cool, dad. You two haven't been able to be together for a long time. I don't care if you want to get all lovey dovey with each other. I'll pick on you about it because your faces are funny when I do, but I'm happy you guys are happy."

"Thank you, son."

Connor shrugged. "No problem." He headed for the elevator before Angel could say anything else. "Thank god for soundproof walls." They heard him mutter before the elevator doors opened.

Angel looked down at Buffy. "What did you do to him in those few weeks?"

She shrugged. "Treated him like a normal person. Talked with him. Didn't judge him for past mistakes. Let him make his own decisions. Just…. Could you talk to your friends about the way they treat him? Connor is a good kid, but they need to lighten up on him and give him a chance to show them that."

"I'll talk to them."

"Also, about Connor…."

"Yeah?"

"I think we need to give him the chance to just be a kid. He's never had that chance. It's always one thing or another that requires him to fight the bad guys, but…. Now that we're working here and we've got lots of resources at our disposal…. Connor just needs to be a kid."

"Should we send him to school?"

"He might have some objections to that since he knows my history with school. But, we'll just have to ask him."

"I think that's a good idea. It'll help him figure out who he is and where he wants to fit in the world." Angel looked out of the windows of his office and realized there was no one out there. "Oh."

"What?"

He grinned and hit a button on his desk. The windows fogged over as he walked back around and locked his office door. "I want to finish what I started this morning." Angel stalked over to her and pulled her tightly against him.

* * *

Buffy sat at Angel's desk the next morning and rifled through the papers there. She and Angel had stayed up all night alternating between making love around the office and looking through the client files. Angel had gone to hunt down some blood for breakfast. Buffy had snacked on cold Chinese food for hers. She picked up an envelope that was addressed to Angel and put it aside for him.

Deciding she would like some coffee, Buffy looked at the phone and decided to try calling Angel's cell phone. She hit what she thought was the speaker phone button, but instead the phone said, "You have reached ritual sacrifice. For goats, press one, or say 'goats.'"

"Oh god!" Buffy quickly hung up.

"Everything ok?" Angel asked, walking back into the office and closing the door.

"I wanted to ask you to bring me some coffee and I hit the wrong button." She said, looking at the phone distastefully.

He smiled and walked over to the phone, hitting a button on it. "Hello?"

"This is Angel's office." An oddly familiar voice said. "How can I help you?"

"This is Angel."

"No, this is his new assistant."

"No, this is Angel."

"Are you sure?"

"Less and less. Can I get a cup of coffee and a cup of blood? Lots of cream and sugar."

"For the blood?"

"For the coffee!"

"Oh! Right away."

Angel grinned at Buffy and hit the button to hang up. Instead, he switched to the other line where the sacrifice hotline was apparently still going. "To sacrifice a loved one or pet, press the pound…." Angel's eyebrows raised in surprise and he hit the button to hang up, holding it down.

"Yeah. And you wondered why I hesitated about working here." Buffy said.

"We'll have to do something about that." Angel grabbed a chair and pulled in behind the desk to sit next to her. Just as he sat down, the phone rang. "Hello?"

"It's Wesley. Can I stop in?" Wesley asked.

"Sure. I was going to call you this morning anyway."

"We might be into a situation."

Buffy and Angel exchanged looks. "Come on by."

"Harmony?!" Angel said. Buffy looked up to see the blonde thorn in her side walk in with a tray holding two coffee urns, 2 mugs, a small pitcher of cream and a small container of sugar.

"Hey! Boss." Harmony said, setting the tray down on the desk. "Hi, Buffy! I didn't know you would be here."

"You're my secretary?"

"Hello! Assistant."

"Explain why I shouldn't kill you." Buffy said, standing up threateningly.

"Secretary's fine."

"No, it's not fine. Where is it fine? You've been working here?"

"Uh-huh."

"Why?" Angel asked, following Buffy around the desk.

"Well, duh! I'm a single undead gal trying to make it in the big city. I have to start somewhere. And they're evil here, they don't judge. They've got the necrotempered glass, no burning up, a great medical plan, and who needs dental more than us vampires?"

"This is surreal."

"Now, before you go threatening to fire me…."

"She threatened to kill you."

"Don't let's quibble. Before anything, just think: I'm strong, I'm quick, I'm incredibly sycophantic…. if that means what that guy said…. and I type like a superhero…. If there was a superhero whose power was typing. And, hey, we keep the same hours. Creatures of the night unite." Buffy and Angel just stared at her as she started to pour warm blood from one of the coffee urns. "How do you like your blood, boss?"

"Tell me that's not…."

"It's pig's blood. I'm totally off the human blood. That's not even a thing."

Angel sniffed it before tasting it. "It tastes…."

"Pretty good, right? The extra ingredient is otter." Harmony looked at Buffy. "I guess the coffee is for you. How do you take it?"

Before Buffy could answer, Wesley walked in with a brief knock on the door. "Angel, it's one of our cases. It's becoming problematic. Harmony."

"Hey, Wes." Harmony chirped.

"You knew that she was…." Angel started.

"Wes is the one that picked me out of the steno pool."

"But why…. You, uh…."

"Well, I thought a familiar face would be just the thing in a place like this." Wesley said.

"You turned evil a lot faster than I thought you would."

"Nonsense."

"We're gonna get along great, boss. The whole gang. Buffy's here and Cordy is gonna lose it when she finds out…." Harmony noticed that Buffy, Angel, and Wesley were exchanging frowns. "I mean, you are gonna tell her you're ok with this, right? I mean, I know she was mad at me for trying to kill you all, but she wouldn't…. I mean…."

"I thought she knew." Wesley said to Angel.

Angel sighed. "Cordy's sick. She's in a coma."

"I…. I didn't…. What happened? Is she gonna be ok?"

"We don't know."

"Cordy was my best friend, like…. my whole life. She's my role model. How can she…." Harmony took a deep breath and perked up suddenly. "So, anyway, I really think you should not fire me, and Wes does, too."

"Harmony, would you ask the men in my office to join us, please?" Wesley asked.

"Righty-ho." Harmony bounced out of the office.

"If there's a way to help Cordelia, we will find it." Angel nodded and Wesley looked at Buffy making herself a cup of coffee. "I didn't expect to see you here this morning, Buffy."

"Actually, that's why we wanted to talk to you." Angel said. "She's going to be co-CEO with me. We need a contract that matches mine to get her on the payroll."

"Co-CEO?"

"She's in this with us. And I want her with me."

Buffy shrugged. "We're a package deal."

Wesley nodded. "You two are a formidable team together. It makes sense. I'll talk to HR."

"Great!" Anel said. "What's the case?"

Wesley handed folder to Angel. "Corbin Fries. The lowest piece of pond scum I've met in, oh, hours. He's about to get 20 years for kidnapping, pimping…."

"I saw the file." Angel handed the folder back to Wesley.

"Yeah, well, personally, I think he deserves to be eaten by weasels, but he's hinting we'd best help him."

"The way you said hinting sounds a lot more like threatening." Buffy said.

"You would be correct."

The door opened and two men walked in in front of Harmony. The one leading the pack was clearly Corbin Fries. The second man was a lawyer that worked for Wolfram and Hart. "Mr. Fries." Angel said, slipping into his suit jacket.

"Mr. Fries, this is Angel and that's Buffy." Harmony said.

"I've been bringing them up to speed on your case."

"Them? Who's she?" Fries asked, gesturing at Buffy. "Is she a present for me?"

Buffy started to advance on Fries, but Angel suddenly had an arm around her waist. "She's co-CEO of Wolfram and Hart and not someone you want to make angry."  
The lawyer walked up to Buffy and shook her hand politely. "Desmond Keel."

"One of ours." Wesley explained.

"Nice to meet you." Buffy said, turning her glare away from Fries.

"Would anybody like coffee?" Harmony asked, holding up the coffee urn from the tray she'd brought in.

"Oh, yeah, let's all chit-chat and have tea and crumpets cause I got so much time." Fries said. "Here's the skinny: Tomorrow the DA Puts my tit in a wringer for good and all, and that does not stand with me. Butt-munch here, he got his law degree at dog training school and the prosecution has everything they've ever dreamed of."

"Because you're guilty." Buffy said, crossing her arms.

"Of course I'm guilty. What the hell are you changing the subject for? The point is, when Holland Manners was running things, this would've never got to trial. Now, I bring a lot of money into this firm, more than most, and I don't do that so I can be handed over to the frickin law." He pointed at Buffy with a disgusting smirk. "You gotta get me off."

"Excuse me?" Buffy growled.

"You think I give a ferret's anus about your new regime here? Yeah, I know who you are, Angel, and I care to the sum of zero. You're my lawyers. And if you don't do every last thing to keep me out of jail, you will regret it."

"Well, we can't dance around this one." Keel said. "We're not in a position to have anyone killed. Not that we would. And the jury's, uh, tamper-proof. Literally. I think one of the DA's shamans has conjured a mystical shield around them."

"So this one has to be won on the merits of the case." Wesley said.

"Now, we have top men on this…."

"Who are doing jack!" Fries snapped. "I am not gonna be made an example of. Either you get me off tomorrow…."

"I think you should calm down." Angel said.

"To hell with calm down. Either you get me off or I drop the bomb."

"Bomb?" Wesley asked.

"Let me put it this way: If they bring in a conviction, bye-bye, California. I say the magic word, the only people left standing are gonna be the ones that are already dead."

"Oh, well, that's a relief." Harmony said. "I mean…. Hey!"

"Why don't you send this sweet piece of meat to wet the judge's appetite?" Fries leered at Buffy and Angel suddenly lashed out and punched the man in the face. Blood spurted from Fries' nose and he glared at Angel through watery eyes.

"Getout." Angel growled.

* * *

"Blow everybody up?" Fred asked. She and Lorne had joined Angel, Buffy, and Wesley in Angel's office.

"Well, he said 'drop the bomb.'" Angel said. "We don't know what that means."

"We very nearly found out." Wesley accused.

"What? I'm not allowed to hit people?"

"Not people capable of genocide."

"Those are exactly the types of people I should be allowed to hit! Besides, he was making lude comments about my girlfriend. I had every right to break his nose."

"For the record, Angel beat me to it." Buffy said.

"Hey, back to the here and now, chickadees." Lorne said. "Where do we stand?"

Wesley sighed. "We need to find out about this bomb and somehow disable it in case that jury comes in with a conviction. We think it may have some mystical element."

"Fries said, 'I say the magic word.'" Buffy said. "He probably means exactly that."

"Which is my department. We also think it probably isn't an explosive. This isn't the sort of man to risk his own life. So that could mean more magic…."

"Or it could be a virus, ebola kind of thing." Fred offered.

"Right." Angel said. "The main thing is, any of this stuff could've come from right here. Keel, the lawyer, says he doesn't know anything and I believe him."

"Why?"

"He's terrified."

"It's going around." Lorne agreed.

"Fred, can you go through the lab records here?" Buffy asked. "Maybe Wolfram & Hart deals in viruses. If they do, that would be awesome to know because, you know, bad."

"Good idea." Fred said.

"Lorne, you're in the courtroom." Angel said. "Monitor the case. Let us know how it's going."

"But lunch with Mary-Kate…." Lorne whined. "She was gonna tell me about Ashley's new piercing."

Harmony walked into the office. "I paged Gunn three times. Still nothing."

"Why isn't he here?" Fred asked.

"Why is she?" Lorne asked, giving Harmony the stink eye.

"Long story." Harmony said.

"Maybe not." Buffy threatened.

Harmony gulped a little and looked at Angel. "Oh, I got Spanky's address."

"Spanky?" Lorne asked.

"I'm with him." Buffy said, gesturing at Lorne. "Spanky? I mean, there's not a lot I don't know about you, but…."

"He's a freelance mystic that showed up in Fries' files a few times." Angel said, chuckling at Buffy. "I figured we could do some legwork. You in?"  
"Of course.

"Can you get there by sewer?" Fred asked.

"Not this time." Angel said. "Harmony, call the penthouse and let Connor know we'll be back soon." He held out his hand to Buffy and she took it, letting him lead her to the private elevator. As the doors closed, he leaned down and kissed her. "Thank you."

"For what?" Buffy asked, holding onto his neck so he couldn't move away. Not that he wanted to.  
"For coming on board with me."

"Technically I haven't yet. I have to sign that contract first."

"Well, you're here and that alone means a lot to me."

"We've got too much time to make up for. I never want to be without you again." She stood on tiptoe and he met her lips just as the doors to the elevator opened. They just stood there together, locked in the embrace for a long moment. Finally, they broke apart and walked out into the dark garage that was full of classic sports cars from every decade.

Angel's face lit up as he looked at all of his cars. "Oh god, they're so beautiful!"

Buffy cocked an eyebrow at him. "You're into old cars?"

Angel grinned sheepishly. "Classic muscle cars. Yeah."

"It's amazing that there's still things about you I don't know."

"You know the important things. That's all that matters."

A man walked out of a door towards them with a tactical team behind him. "Sir."

Angel eyed him warily. It was the man from a couple of nights ago that had swooped in after he and Buffy had saved that woman. "Hauser, right?

"We got word there's a floater you wanted brought in."

"How exactly did you get that word?"

"That's my job, sir. You want us to bring him in?"

"We'll take care of it."

"Traditionally, my unit handles all the wet work."

"I know you meant field work."

"Of course."

"We'll take care of it." Angel turned and ushered Buffy towards the yellow Corvette. "Later on, you can tell us all about tradition."

Buffy glanced back as Angel pulled out of the garage. "Can we fire that guy?"

"I'm not opposed to it."

She looked over at Angel bathed in sunlight and smiled. It was a sight she would never take for granted.

* * *

Angel knocked on the door of the apartment and waited. Buffy checked her nails as they waited. Finally, a man in his 50s opened the door wearing a sweaty tank top. He scowled at them. "So what do you want?"

"We're here from Wolfram & Hart. Here about a job." Angel said.

The man's demeanor brightened. "Well, then get your butt in here. Pardon the sweaty. I was working out. Uh, you guys want a drink? I got a pitcher of daiquiris."

"I'm good, thanks." Buffy said.

"So am I. And I'm about to be better."

"So tell me," Angel said, stopping in front of a wall full of paddles and whips. "Why do they call you 'Spanky'?"

"I'm a big 'Our Gang' fan."

"That's what I figured."

"Look, I'm gonna be up-front with you guys. I got nothing against people doing their thing. It's a wide and wonderful world, but I don't spank men. It's not a judgment. Men have fine, firm asses. You've been to the web site, you know how much I work on mine. I figured that you were here for some couples' play, but when you said Wolfram & Hart, I assumed you were here about a mystical job."

"We are." Buffy said. "The one you did for Corbin Fries."

"Yeah? Ok, I don't discuss my old jobs. Mystic-client privilege."

"You're gonna tell us what you did for Mr. Fries." Angel said calmly. "Now or very soon from now."

Spanky took a moment before answering. "I built him a container, a mystical vessel. You can put anything you want in it."  
"Like a bomb." Buffy said.

"A bomb, a curse, a golden retriever. Anything. I don't know what he wanted it for. The vessel just holds it until the magic word dissolves the vessel." Spanky set down his daiquiri.

"Where did you place the vessel?"

Spanky lunged at Angel, intending to get his forearm around Angel's neck, but Buffy moved faster than either men could track and she had Spanky on his knees with his arm twisted at a dangerous angle behind his back. She looked a little shocked at her own speed, but quickly maneuvered Spanky to the floor with his face pressed painfully into the carpet by her foot.

"Vampire?" Spanky croaked out.  
"Slayer. You can quit struggling. I'll break your spanking arm and put you out of business. Now tell us everything you know on Fries or Angel is going to start figuring out what each of those paddles does."

"Unlike you, I don't have a problem spanking men." Angel said.

Buffy shot him a look and he cringed at what he'd just said. Three hours later, Buffy and Angel were back in their office at Wolfram and Hart. They'd left Spanky lying unconscious and bleeding on the floor of his apartment. Night had fallen on the city below and Buffy was sitting on the couch staring out at the cityscape.

"How could anyone do that to a child?" She asked. "To their own child?"

Just then, the liaison to the Senior Partners sauntered into the office. She apparently didn't even see Buffy sitting on the couch. She walked up to a glowering Angel standing over his desk. "Rough day at work?"

"His son." Angel growled. "He took a lethal virus, and he stuck it inside his son."

"Hits you where you live, doesn't it? How is Connor adjusting…."

"That's not a name I want passing through your lips."

"And what would you like passing through my lips?"

Buffy stood up and walked towards Eve. "Who the hell are you and why are you speaking to my boyfriend in that tone of whore?"

"Oh, the Slayer. I hear you're finally joining us. I'm Eve."

"I don't care. Why are you hitting on someone who's taken? Do the Senior Partners approve of that level of skank?"

Eve just laughed and held out a thick folder. "Here's your contract, sweetie. You don't have to sign in blood. Black ink will work just fine. Everything matches Angel's contract. Welcome to the team." Eve looked between Buffy and Angel. "I'm curious how you two are gonna play this whole Fries situation." The only answer she received were glares from the two superhumans. She sighed. "Here's the news from this sector: If every case hits you this hard, you're not gonna last a week."

Angel shook his head. "I don't want you coming into this office again unless one of us asks for you. I don't want to hear another word right now unless you decide to start helping out."

"How do you know I'm not?" Eve headed for the door. She stopped and looked at Buffy. "You can just drop that off with Harmony in the morning. She's expecting them so she can get them to HR and we can get you officially on the payroll." With that, Eve was gone.

"I really don't like her." Buffy said. "She'll probably be the next one with a broken nose." The blonde sighed. "Quick, give me a pen so I can sign these."

"Before you change your mind?"

"Oh no. After meeting her, I _definitely_ need to be around more to deal with Slutty Poppins and remind her who you belong to."

Angel chuckled. "I don't think there's a doubt in anyone's mind who I belong to, Buffy."

Buffy took the offered pen from him and signed the contract where the tabs told her to. "There. I'm officially in this thing with you."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Let's go check on Connor. See what he's been up to all day."

* * *

Buffy and Angel were back in their office the next morning. Connor had played on the Playstation most of the day and discovered a love for watching TV. Angel had commented that he was rapidly turning into a teenager.

The desk phone began to trill and Angel grabbed it. "This is Angel."

"Angel toes, Lorne." The green, empath said. :Hey, listen, I'm gonna go ahead and recommend we get that boy into isolation pronto."

Angel hit the speakerphone so Buffy could hear the conversation. "How long do we have?"

"The defense is drawing it out, but the judge is making merry sport of them, and, well, now the jury's looking at Fries like he's O.J…. without the commanding performance in 'Towering Inferno.'"

"Do you think he's gonna say the word?" Buffy asked.

"Before they even deliver the verdict. He's dead meat and he knows it. I think Fries, Junior, is about to become Patient Zero."

"All right. Thanks." Angel said. "Uh, Buffy and I'll get to the school. Stay in there."

Wesley walked into the office just as Angel hung up the phone. "How's it coming out there?" Buffy asked. "Has Fred found anything?"

"Fred's got the lab techs on track for an antidote, but it could be days." Wesley answered. "Same with removing the mystical container, I'm afraid. If we could get them to suspend the trial…."

"Not gonna happen." Angel said, grabbing his and Buffy's coats. "We've gotta get to the school."

"Uh, boss…. Bosses?" Harmony said, walking into the room.

"It can wait."

"Maybe not."

"Go to the courthouse. Plan C. We'll let you know when we've isolated the boy."

"The special ops team already left for the school." Harmony cried, stopping them in their tracks.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"They left and they called for the cleaners to meet there. I have it from some of the girls, 'cleaners' means a big job. Lots of bodies."

"We're definitely firing that guy." Buffy said to Angel.

"How long ago?" Angel asked Harmony.

"10 minutes." She answered.

"We'll never beat them on the street." Buffy said.

"We gotta try." Angel said.

"Um, bosses?"

"What?!" Buffy and Angel cried.

* * *

Buffy ushered the last of the students out the back of the building and to the waiting school bus. She and Angel had gotten there long before the special ops team thanks to the helicopter they apparently owned. They had managed to get everyone out of the building and spirited away on waiting school buses. Corbin Fries' kid had been taken back to Wolfram and Hart on the helicopter. Angel was inside waiting on the team to arrive.

She made her way back into the school and could smell the smoke bomb the special ops team had set off. The sounds of multiple guns going off at a rapid rate made her pick up her pace. The gas had dissipated enough that she wasn't in any danger from it. The first guy closest to the door got thrown against the nearest wall. The second guy turned on her, but she grabbed his gun and pushed it into his face.

Angel was across the room in vamp face taking on Hauser. He spotted her taking out the rest of the team on her own, leaving only one stray and Hauser for him. She took her guys out into the hallway and he had a brief moment of worry when he heard the guns go off, but one of the bodies of the men fell through the window and he could see her wailing on the other two. Finally, he knocked Hauser to the ground and went out to join his girlfriend just as she finished off the last of her guys.

"Maybe we should get Connor a tutor." Buffy said. "Schools these days are so violent."

Hauser appeared in the doorway and pointed a shotgun at them. "You know that won't kill me." Angel said, rolling his eyes.

"It'll kill her and hurt you." Hauser said, cocking the shotgun.

"Agent Hauser, I'm honestly beginning to suspect that you're not part of the solution."

"You really think you can solve the problem? Come into Wolfram and Hart and make everything right? Turn night into glorious day? You pathetic little fairy."

"He's definitely not little." Buffy said.

"That's exactly what you both are. You're minuscule. A dust mote on the shelf of that great institution."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Really? _You're_ going to tell us how insignificant we are? You're just some evil little goon with a god complex. I've had an actual hell god give me the same speech and you know what happened to her? I ended her. Careful who you start spouting off tiny bug speeches to."

"Clearly you think I'm just a trigger-happy jerk who follows orders…."

"Uh, no. Evil little goon with a god complex. Just said that."

"But I am something you will never be. I'm pure. I believe in evil. You and your friends, you're conflicted. You're confused. We're not. That is why you are gonna lose, because we possess the most powerful thing in the world…."

"Girl scout cookies?"

"Conviction." Hauser leveled the shotgun at Buffy's head, but Angel kicked Hauser in the chest, forcing the shotgun to point at Hauser's head, causing the gun to go off. His body fell to the floor and left a bloody splatter covering the wall where Hauser's head used to be.

"That was a bit dramatic." Buffy said as they walked towards the exit.

"Sorry." Angel said. "He was getting ready to shoot you. It was an act first, think later situation." He held the door open for her as they headed out to the waiting car.

* * *

Harmony walked into Buffy and Angel's office with two bottles of water. She handed one to Buffy and the other to Eve. Gunn had been missing for almost a full day, but he'd shown up earlier in court and gotten Fries off at the last minute. Apparently he'd allowed Wolfram and Hart to shove an insane amount of knowledge on laws into his noggin.

"It's very simple, really." Eve was saying. "Charles agreed to let us enhance his mind with a comprehensive knowledge of the law."

"Without asking us?" Wesley said.

"Mother, may I?" Gunn asked, snipping off the end of a cigar.

"Without telling us?" Fred asked again with a stern look.

"Cause I knew you guys would freak. Look, it's me here. They didn't evil me up. All I got stuck in my head was the law. And for some reason, a messload of Gilbert and Sullivan."

"Standard." Eve said. "Great for elocution."

"How can you possibly know they didn't do anything else?" Angel asked.

"Cause I saw the man in the white room. He does a lot of scary things, but lying ain't one of them."

"You needed a lawyer to get by here." Eve explained. "Charles had the most unused potential. His degrees are all forged, but he's the real deal."

"You want me to sing for Lorne? I could give him a little 'Pirates of Penzance.' All of it, actually."

"I would also point out that he did just save the day, without ever resorting to violence." Eve looked at Buffy and Angel. "How'd you two do?" She stood up. "I think you guys are gonna make it work. Yay, team. I'll see you around." She walked out of the office.

"Of course, saving the day meant getting the scumbag who was ready to sacrifice his own son off on a technicality and then returning said son to said scumbag." Lorne said.

"Fred and I have enough time to disable the charm now." Wesley offered. "He won't be in danger."

"And Fries is gonna have to dial down the criminal activities till this thing comes to trial again." Gunn said. "Which I can draw out for months."  
"Is this gonna be our lives now?" Fred asked. "Fighting our own employees, our own clients? Are we really gonna do any good?"  
"Yes, we are." Angel said. "We're gonna change things. We came to Wolfram and Hart because it's a powerful weapon, and we'll figure out how to wield it."

"Or kill ourselves with it." Wesley said.

"Yay, team." Fred said sarcastically.

"No, sooner or later they'll tip their hand, and we'll find out why they really brought us here." Angel picked up the envelope from his desk. "Meanwhile, we do the work our way, one thing at a time. We deal with whatever comes next." He ripped open the envelope and a very familiar amulet fell out. Buffy moved to pick it up, but a black whirlwind suddenly erupted from it. Angel pulled her away and they all backed off as the papers on the desk began to fly off. The whirlwind started to glow with flecks of orange as something began to materialize inside it. The skeletal form of a man began to form and slowly filled out. The wind faded and suddenly Spike was standing there, screaming in the middle of the office.

"Spike?" Buffy whispered.

"Spike." Angel growled.

Harmony stuck her head in the doorway. "Blondie bear?"


	12. Just Rewards

Spike doubled over and looked around him. He was starting to panic at all the unfamiliar faces. "What…. what…."

"What the hell are you doing here, Spike?" Harmony snapped.

"Harmony, please." Wesley said.

"This is Spike?" Gunn asked. "The Spike?"

"Wait a minute." Fred said. "Who's…."

"Easy, slim." Lorne soothed. "Easy. No one's gonna hurt you."

"Speak for yourself, green jeans." Gunn said.

"Ok, would somebody please tell me who…." Fred started.

"William the Bloody. He's a vampire. One of the worst recorded." Wesley said. "Second only to…."

"Me." Angel said, causing Spike to turn on him. "But you're dead."

"Well, yeah. Who here isn't?" Harmony said.

Buffy ignored her as she moved towards Spike. "Spike?"  
Spike turned to her and he moved to hug her tightly. Instead, he went right through her. Buffy turned to see Spike standing inside her and Angel's large desk. "Bugger. What? What's happened to me?"

"Well, I'm no doctor, but I think you're a ghost." Harmony said.

"I'm no…. I'm no bloody ghost."

"Hey, you're the one sticking out of a desk, pal. And you can't talk to me like that. We're not going out anymore."

"Where'd he come from?" Gunn asked.

Wesley picked up the amulet from the floor. "From this."

"What is it?" Fred asked.

"Something I gave to Buffy before our big battle in Sunnydale." Angel said.

"Sunnydale!" Spike turned to Buffy. "We won?"

"We won." Buffy confirmed.

"You're all right?"

"Yeah." She took Angel's hand. "We're all right."

"Good. What the hell is my ex doing here?"

"Me or Harmony?"

"Oh my God!" Harmony cried. "You and the Slayer actually…. I mean, I know you had that twisted obsession with her, but ugh! That's just…. Ugh!" She looked at Buffy. "Sorry, boss." She made a hasty retreat out of the office.

"Why did she call you boss?" Spike asked. "Where am I?"

"LA." Angel said.

"So Spike and Buffy…." Fred started.

"He was, um, an ally of hers for some time." Wesley said. "That's all I know." Buffy looked away and blushed and Angel squeezed her hand.

"So he's a good-guy vampire like Angel?" Gunn asked.

"He's nothing like me." Angel said.

"Got that right." Spike agreed. "What have you done to me? What is this place? Who are you people? What the bloody hell is happening?!"

"Would you calm down?" Buffy snapped. "We'll figure this out, ok? Just…. Step out of the desk." She turned to Fred. "Do you have anything in your lab that might figure out what's happening with him?"

"Maybe." Fred shrugged. "There's a lot down there I haven't gotten to play with yet."

"Let's start there, then. Wesley, can you research the amulet and find out more about? It came from here, so they've got to have some answers to our questions."

"Of course." Wesley said.

An hour later, they were convened in Fred's lab. She was scanning Spike with a weird looking device that almost resembled a Geiger counter. Wesley was looking at the amulet through a microscope across the room. Buffy, Connor, and Angel stood near Spike with Gunn right behind them. They were looking at one of the books Wesley had brought down

"Honey of a story." Lorne said to Wesley.

"Story?" Wesley asked, not looking up from his microscope.

"Yeah, the Vampire Slayer both men loved, but only one could have. Hell of a triangle! Oh, I could sell that to any studio in a heartbeat. I see Depp and Bloom. But then I see them a lot."

Buffy's ears perked up and she leaned around Angel. "Who do you see playing me?"

"Scarlett Johannson."

"No idea who that is."

"Hot up and coming actress with real chops. She's about your age." Wesley shot a glare at Lorne. "Sorry. Hazard of running the entertainment division. Gotta get out more."

"So what are you then?" Spike asked Fred. "Scanner girl?"

"I'm Fred." She said. "I head up Wolfram & Hart's Science Department."

"Wolfram & Hart. Heard of that. Thought it was a law firm."

"It is…. Among other things."

"Also heard they represent the worst evil in the universe." Spike said pointedly at Buffy and Angel.

"It did, among other things, but now Buffy and I are in charge." Angel said.

"Are you now?"

"Don't start." Buffy warned.

"Weird. I'm getting electromagnetic readings consistent with spiritual entities, but there's no ectoplasmic matrix."

"What does that mean?" Connor asked.

"Ectoplasm's what makes ghosts visible to the human eye. If he's a ghost, technically we shouldn't be able to see him. And I'm detecting brainwave activity."

"On Spike?" Angel laughed. "That is weird." Buffy pinched his arm and he winced, shooting her an apologetic look.

"Also, ghosts generally absorb light and heat energy making the area around them a few degrees cooler. Spike's radiating heat."

"Think I'm hot, do you?" Spike quipped.

"Mm…. Lukewarm. Just above room temperature."

"Well, what the hell am I then?"

"Whatever he is, it's clearly tied to this amulet." Wesley said. "Spike's essence, for lack of a better term, must have been held within it. Do you have any memory of a strange sensation when it released its energy?"

"What? You mean my skin and muscle burning away from the bone? Organs exploding in my chest? Eyeballs melting in their sockets? No. No memory at all. Thanks for asking."

"Ok, he's connected to the amulet." Connor said. "When we last saw it, it was being buried deep inside the Hellmouth with Spike's ashes. How did it end up here?"

"Maybe he's here for a reason." Fred said. "You know, some higher purpose or something he's destined for. Sent to us by the powers that be to help us or…."

"Who gave them the bloody right to do that? Can't a man die in peace without some high almighty deciding it's not his time." Buffy lifted at eyebrow at him. "Guess you know what I mean."

"Well, it wasn't so much some high almighty as Willow, but yeah…. I know what you mean." Buffy said.

"You think that saving the sodding world would be enough to earn me a rest. You'd think…." Spike started to fade away.

"Spike?" Fred asked.

"Hmm?" He looked down at his body and managed to say, "Oh, balls" before completely disappearing.  
Fred rushed over to scan where Spike had been standing. "Now what?" Gunn asked.

"I don't know." Fred said. "He just…. Disappeared."

Spike suddenly appeared across the room behind them. "Hmm? What? What?"

"Took the 'what's' right out of our mouths." Lorne said.

"Where'd you go?" Buffy asked. Spike shook his head in confusion. "You don't know?"

"I'm…. I was…." Spike pointed angrily at Angel. "You! This is your fault."

"Mine?" Angel said.

"You brought that bloody amulet to Sunnydale. You would have been the one to use it, until you chickened out."

"Chickened out!? You volunteered!"

"You weren't planning on wearing it!"

"Yes I was! Buffy wouldn't let me, though. Then you showed up and offered yourself up. This was your choice!"

" _This_ was not my choice!" Spike gestured at himself. "I'm not you. I don't give a piss about atonement or destiny. Just because I got me a soul doesn't mean I'm gonna let myself be led around by…."

"Excuse me?" Fred asked.

"Did…. did you just say…." Wesley turned to Buffy and Angel. "Spike has a soul?"

"Didn't seem worth mentioning, you know." Angel said.

"No one asked." Buffy added.

"Captain Forehead was feeling a little less special." Spike said. "Didn't like me crashing his exclusive club. Another vampire with a soul in the world that Buffy fell in love with."

"You're not in the world, Casper." Angel said, turning and walking out the door. "And Buffy doesn't love you!" The door slammed behind him.

Everyone turned to look at Buffy as Spike walked out after Angel. "If Spike's back, you're going to have to get used to the bickering." She said. "They do that a lot."

"You loved Spike?" Connor asked.

Buffy's eyes widened and she ran out after Angel. "I'm not responsible for what happened to you." Angel growled at Spike as Buffy caught up to them. Angel turned to look at her. "You told him you love him!?"

"I…. He was dying!" Buffy defended. She rounded on Spike. "Why would you tell him that?"

"Why would you say it to him if you didn't mean it?"

"Because I do care about him and I didn't want him to die without ever hearing me tell him, but he was right. I don't love him. I love you."

"Buffy, it's almost three o'clock." Harmony said. Buffy realized she was the closest one to Harmony's desk. "You have a meeting scheduled…."

"Not now, Harmony."

"What are you doing here? What has he done to you to make you sell out?" Spike asked.

"Little tip, Spike," Angel said. "Try not to talk about things you don't understand."

"I'm not the prat here. I know you, Angel. What do you think you're doing? Made some devil's bargain to take over this company. Thought you'd use it to fight the evil of the world from inside the belly of the beast. Drug the love of your life into it. Trouble is you're too busy fighting to see you and yours are getting digested."

"Not gonna happen."

"Oh, you think you're in control here? Guess again, mate. You're no more in control than I am. Except I'm not gonna bloody stand for it, while you're just a blind…." Spike looked over Angel's shoulder where the elevator had just opened. "Grox'lar Beast."

"What?" Angel turned to see the Grox'lar Beast stepping out of the elevators and striding purposefully towards him. Out if instinct, he kicked out before throwing numerous punched at the demon.

"No!" Buffy yelled just before the demon punched Angel back, knocking him down.

Spike threw a punch at the back of the demon's head, but his fist went right through without making an impact. "Oh, brilliant."

The demon moved towards Angel again and Buffy ran over to stop him. Angel jumped back up and overpowered the demon, throwing him against a wall and knocking him out. "Somebody want to tell me how a Grox'lar Beast got past security? I don't have time for this." Angel rounded on Buffy. "And where the hell were you?"

"That was our three o'clock." Buffy said, crossing her arms.

"That…. We're meeting with Grox'lars?! They eat babies!"

"We were supposed to open negotiations with his clan."

"Negotiations for what?"

"Getting them to stop eating baby heads." She walked over to make sure the demon wasn't dead. "Don't you pay attention to your calendar? I've been here, like, a day and I'm already ahead of you."

"Well, that's why there's two of us. So that's good that they want to stop eating baby heads." Angel looked down at the unconscious demon. "This is bad."

"No, actually." Gunn said, walking into the lobby. "The Grox'lar clan respects someone who takes a strong opening position. Wolfram & Hart didn't just jack me up here with the human laws, also demon laws from every dimension. Probably should have been briefed you about the Grox'lar, but we got a little…." He looked over at Spike. "Sidetracked. Plus I've been implementing our reforms. Mostly staff overhaul. I've fired 40 employees in the past 2 days."

"How's that going?" Buffy asked, walking with Gunn into his office.

"As expected. Anger, tears, venomous death threats."

"Fun!"

"Caught an associate we laid off trying to smuggle this out of the voodoo division." Gunn held up a voodoo doll that had dark skin and was wearing a suit just like Gunn's.

"Nice likeness." Angel said, holding the doll up to compare it with Gunn.

"This place just goes on and on, doesn't it?" Spike said, wandering in. "Like a ruddy theme park attraction."

"We're in a meeting, Spike."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't care."

"Look, we're ruffling a lot of dangerous feathers out there." Gunn said. "There's gonna be a backlash. Count on it."

Buffy shrugged. "We'll just have to ride out the ripples."

"I'm sensing a ripple on its way now." Gunn's eyes drifted to a man wearing a bright blue dress shirt and a bright yellow tie striding into the room.

"Yes, uh…. Novac, sir, ma'am. Uh, what's this about you shutting down the Internment Acquisitions Division?"

"Internment Acqui…." Angel looked at Gunn.

"Grave-robbing." Buffy said. Angel looked down at her in surprise. "What? I couldn't figure out the phone system, but I've got a handle on our schedule and which divisions are completely unnecessary."

"Listen, I know you guys are in charge now, and you're doing a bang-up job. I'm with you 110%, but that department isn't unnecessary. It brings in mucho revenue to this company." Novac argued. "I.A.D. is under contract to provide fresh bodies to Magnus Hainsley. You know who he is, right?"

"Not sure I care."

"He's one of our oldest clients. Big potatoes. We stop delivering, and he is not gonna be thrilled."

"Sounds like he's not gonna be thrilled when you advise him that he's no longer our client."

"Me?"

"Make sure he knows that Wolfram & Hart is under new management and out of the grave-robbing business."

"Me?" Novac repeated.

"Do you see any other garishly dressed lawyers complaining about the loss of the grave robbing department in this office?" Novac shook his head. "Go."

Novac walked toward the door, eyes wide and visibly shuddering. "You don't have to take that from her, mate." Spike said.

"Stay out of this, Spike." Angel said. "You don't work here."

"Damn right I don't. Look at you two. This is what you do now? Delegate the dirty work to spineless, low-level flunkies." Spike glanced at Novac. "No offense." He turned back to Buffy and Angel. "The mighty heroes reduced to bloody bureaucrats."

"Get out of here, Spike."

"Gladly. Cruel enough punishment being stuck here as a spook while you play chairmen of the boring. But hell if I'm gonna spend my afterlife in your stinking city. Get stuffed."

Buffy and Angel watched Spike walk away from them. Angel shook his head. "Good riddance."

"Angel…." Buffy started.

"I know!" He threw up his hands and walked out of Gunn's office.

* * *

Buffy walked into her and Angel's and found him darkened cityscape. He'd left the negotiations with the Grox'lar clan up to her and Gunn. She knew he was brooding over the Spike situation and the fact that he had intended to wear that amulet. Walking over to him, she snuggled under his arm, forcing him to wrap it around her, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"You don't think he's really gone, do you?" Angel asked.

"No. No one gets rid of Spike that easily." Buffy said.

Angel was quiet for a long moment. "Could have been me, Buffy. It was supposed to be me."

"But it wasn't."

"Wolfram & Hart gave me the amulet. They must have expected me to use it. And they had to have known it would've done to me what it did to Spike, so…."

"Why bother handing you the keys to the kingdom?"

"It doesn't make sense. What are the senior partners playing at?"

"They're the bad guys, so it's probably something evil. But they ended up with Spike." She paused and let go of Angel, moving in front of him. "Or maybe they got exactly what they were after."

"Spike?"

"All of us." She noticed movement in the doorway and looked over to see Spike standing there. "I knew we couldn't get rid of you that easily."

"I thought you left town."

"Don't think I didn't bleeding try." Spike grumbled. "Every time I got as far as the city limits I kept popping back here like my insides are getting yanked."

"The amulet is probably bound to Wolfram and Hart." Buffy said. "Since you're connected to it…."  
"Hey! I'm nobody's bloody property, pet. So what? I'm just stuck here forever?" Spike glared at Angel. "I bet you're loving this, aren't you?"

"Knowing you'll be haunting me till the end of time?" Angel asked. "Hmm. It's a dream come true."

"Right." Buffy said. "I'm going to love listening to you two bicker for the rest of my life."  
Harmony knocked on the open door. "Uh, Buffy? That Novac lawyer you sent over to dump the client? Well, he's back."

"Ok, send him in."

"Mmm…. Ok."

Buffy was about to ask what was with Harmony's tone, but two men in suits walked in carrying three buckets full of a sloppy red liquid. One of the buckets had the bright yellow tie hanging over the edge. "Oh god…."

"Ol' buckets here was right." Spike said. "You guys are doing a bang-up job."

Buffy shot Spike a withering glare. He looked away and she looked back at the buckets. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"You didn't know." Angel said soothingly, rubbing her arm. "Let's figure out what we can do about Hainsley." He walked over and picked up the phone to call Wesley and Gunn in.

Buffy walked over to Harmony's desk. "Harmony, can you get me Novac's contact list? His close relations or next of kin or something. We need to let them know about…."

"Bucket-o-lawyer?" Harmony finished.

Buffy groaned. "Just get me the list, Harmony. And I know it's never been your strong suit, but try to be discreet about this."

Gunn stepped off the elevator and walked over to Buffy. "Hey, Angel called. Said you guys wanted the file on Magnus Hainsley?" She nodded and took the file. "Dig this. He's a sorcerer, big time. Rich with old money and older mojo. Owns a respectable block of shares in Wolfram & Hart and he's connected up the wazoo. Carries influence with power players in the entertainment industry, politics…."

"Necromancer? That means he has power over the dead, right?"

"Right."

"I guess that explains the bodies Wolfram & Hart was giving him. Doesn't explain what he's been doing with them." They walked into her and Angel's office to find Connor looking into the buckets sitting on the desk.

"What's in the buckets?" He was asking Angel.

"Some lawyer named Novac Buffy sent over to get rid of a client." Spike said from Angel's desk chair. "Guess he's been…. What do you call it? Downsized."

"You're not helping. And get out of my chair!" Angel growled at him.

"It's a message from a necromancer named Magnus Hainsley." Buffy explained to Connor. "I'm angry enough about it that I'm going to reply to it personally."

"You can't take Hainsley on yourself." Angel said.

"I'm not risking him turning somebody else into chowder. Also, I'm not currently dead, so he doesn't have any power over me."

"You have a multi-billion dollar company at your disposal with armed and trained personnel." Gunn said.

"I don't need them."

"Buffy…. At least take Connor with you?" Angel asked.

She sighed. "We agreed to let him be a normal kid. Taking him on a field trip to beat up a necromancer is not normal."

"I don't mind." Connor said with a shrug. "I don't really know what being a normal kid means."

"It means binging on Hot Pockets and pizza rolls and Twinkies and playing video games non-stop."

"That's Xander's version of being a kid. And a grown up." Angel mumbled.

"Well, that all sounds like fun for a few days, but I'd rather go help you out." Connor said, ignoring Angel and grinning at Buffy's annoyed glare at his father.

Buffy sighed in defeat. "Ok. Let's go beat up a necromancer."

"Buffy!" Gunn said just as the elevator doors opened. "I have an idea. It should keep you and the kid safe from chowder status and it'll hurt Hainsley. Bad."

"Whatever you got, I'm game."

"Give me ten minutes?"

"You're on the clock." Buffy stepped away from the elevator and sat down on the couch as Gunn rushed out of the room.

Angel walked over and sat down next to her. "Buffy, this wasn't your fault."

"Yes it is. I sent him over there to dump this guy."

"You didn't know he would do that. None of us knew."

"Novac knew. Did you see how scared he was? I completely ignored it and sent him on his way to become chum buckets for Jaws."

"But you negotiated an entire clan of Grox'lar Beasts to stop eating baby heads. That's a huge deal!"

"Doesn't make up for me getting someone killed."

"Buffy, this is not your fault. There's no way you could've known _that_ ," Angel gestured at the buckets. "Would happen. You were just doing your job." Buffy started to protest, but Angel cut her off. "Nope. No guilt. You didn't know."

Gunn walked back in just then and they all looked up at him.

* * *

Buffy, Connor, and Spike stood at the front door of Hainsley's expansive mansion. Spike had tagged along with them out of boredom. Buffy and Angel had argued with him about going to confront a necromancer since he was dead, but his pig-headed self wouldn't hear any of it. He and Connor had bickered the whole way in the car, much to Buffy's annoyance.

The butler finally opened the door and Buffy led Connor and Spike inside. "Do you have an appointment with Mr. Hainsley?" The man asked.

"Let's just say he sent us an invitation." Spike said.

"We're, uh…. I'm from Wolfram & Hart." Buffy said, shooting a glare at Spike.

"Mr. Hainsley is with a customer at the moment." The butler said. "I'm afraid he does not suffer interruption lightly."  
"Go ahead and interrupt. I don't mind if he suffers."

"As you wish. Please wait here." The butler turned and walked out.

"Oh, life among the power elite." Spike said. "It's all so civilized. Hainsley grinds up one of your people into chum, and you drop by for tea."

"I would like to avoid any more of a body count than has already been wracked up." Buffy said.

"Looks like this this guy already keeps a body count on hand." Connor said from a nearby room.

Buffy and Spike followed him into the parlor. The room was decorated like a Victorian parlor with a few dozen corpses all standing around. They had been dressed and posed like they were features in a wax museum.

"Man likes to play with dollies." Spike quipped.

"This isn't for him. It's a showroom." Buffy growled.

"I don't know. Maybe the geezer's just lonely. Throws himself a surprise party every night. Picks out one of these painted pigeons and shows her a good time, if you know what I mean."

"Gross." Connor said.

"What? I'm sure they don't mind."

"I mind." Buffy said.

"Why? They're the lucky ones, aren't they? It's over for them. They've shuffled off, cleanly, the one time. Nobody's shoving them back into the stinking world against their will."

Buffy didn't have anything to say to that. She hated to admit that she almost agreed with him on it. Luckily the butler came back just then. "Mr. Hainsley has asked that I send you back to Wolfram & Hart." The man pulled out a couple of butcher knives from behind his back. "In a manner of speaking." He started to twirl the knives around menacingly while Buffy and Connor looked on in amusement.

"Uh-oh." Spike said. "Looks like it's buckets for you two."

Connor grabbed a tiny teaspoon from a posed woman's teacup near him. He threw the spoon at the butler and buried it in the man's forehead. The butler screamed as Spike started to make fun of Connor's weapon choice. "A spoon?! That's just…." The butler reached up and pulled the spoon out of his forward, turning toward Connor angrily. "Well, ok, that's more…." Buffy and Connor dropped into defensive crouches, but the butler collapsed to the ground. "Disappointing, really."

"Spike, I realize that you can't actually help us being a ghost and all, but could you maybe not root for the other team?" Buffy said.

"Hey, I'm not rooting for the other team."

"Sure sounds like it." Connor said.

"I'm not rooting for the other team. I don't even really have a team. I saved the world, threw myself onto the proverbial hand grenade for love, honor, and all the right reasons, and what do I get? Bloody well toasted and ghosted is what I get, isn't it? It's not fair." Buffy turned to shut Spike up, but he was fading out. "Are you getting blurry or is it…." He disappeared.

"Finally!" Connor said.

"Quit letting him bait you." Buffy said as they headed down the hallway to find Hainsley. "I know he's really good at plucking nerves, but you need to learn to ignore it."

"Dad doesn't."  
"Your dad is 276 years old. It takes him a while to accept change." They made it down into the basement and found a pair of French doors. Buffy walked over and kicked them off their hinges, sending them skidding into the room beyond.  
Hainsley was rinsing his hands in a bowl of water. "Come in. It's open."

"Hainsley."

"Didn't know it was the head cheese's girlfriend. I thought for sure you were another lackey. You should show more respect."  
"She's not just the head cheese's girlfriend." Connor said. "As of last night, she's the co-head cheese. You should show some respect."

A woman lying on the table in the middle of the room sat up and climbed down off the table. "Oh, uh, I can see you guys have a thing going on. Don't wanna get in your way. I'll let myself out."

Buffy grabbed the woman's arm as she tried to edge by her. Her eyes glowed red and she snarled at Buffy. The blonde just rolled her eyes and knocked the demon out. She finally figured out what Hainsley was doing with the bodies. "How much do you charge to install your average Joe demon into a human body? I know a lot of them would just die to be able to pass as a human being."

"Believe me, friend, the average Joe demon can't afford it." Hainsley said.

"Whoa!" Spike said, suddenly appearing behind them.

"Welcome back." Buffy said.

"What did I miss?"

"You haven't missed the big show." Buffy reached into her pocket and dialed Gunn's number. As soon as the line connected, she said, "Gunn, do it."  
"Done." Gunn confirmed.

"And what was that?" Hainsley taunted. "Just call in an air strike?"

"I don't need an air strike." Buffy said, sticking her phone back in her pocket. "I just froze all of your bank accounts, terminated your paper assets, and turned your books over to a very motivated contact we have at the I.R.S. Five minutes from now, you'll have nothing but this house. Ten minutes from now, that'll go into foreclosure."

"You can't do that."

"Just did. We'll let ourselves out." Buffy turned and ushered Connor back towards the door.

"It's not legal. You think you can get away with that? I'll sue you to hell."

"Good luck with that. We're your lawyers."

"This isn't over!"

"That's what they all say." Buffy, Connor, and Spike headed up the stairs.

"So, that's how you're fighting the forces of evil now?" Spike asked. "Call the I.R.S.?"

"Hell of a lot easier than fighting for my life night after night."

"You're going to miss that, though." Spike suddenly disappeared.

"That's going to get annoying." Connor said.

"I think that's always going to be fun. It's the popping back up that's going to get annoying." Buffy said. "Come on. Let's get back and tell your dad everything."

* * *

Gunn walked with Buffy and Connor into her and Angel's office. Angel was waiting in the doorway for them. "Wiped out every asset we could find on Hainsley." Gunn was saying. "Wasn't easy. Man's got his fingers in a lot of dirty pies."

"Yeah, well, I think pies are gonna be off his menu for a while." Angel said. "Hi. Welcome back." He leaned down and kissed Buffy before they headed into the office hand in hand.

"Yeah, well, it's gotta hurt." Gunn was saying to Connor. "I mean, damn, who doesn't love pie?"

Fred and Wesley walked into the office. "You're back." Fred said to Buffy and Connor.

"Hainsley out of business?" Wesley asked.

"For the time being." Buffy said.

"So he's not going away?" Fred asked.

"Pretty sure 'this isn't over' means no."

"Where's Spike?"

"He popped out on us as we were leaving Hainsley's place." Buffy sighed. "Is there anything we can do about him?"

"I've had my entire department doing thorough research on the amulet." Wesley said. "There's not much. Not in the way of releasing Spike from it, anyway. At least not in the conventional sense."

"What's the unconventional sense?"

"Something he asked for. Eternal rest."

Buffy sighed and looked at Angel. "This is an unusual situation, but I think it's our only choice." He said to her.

"It's what we'd do in any case of a haunting, isn't it?" Wesley asked. "An exorcism of sorts."

"Wait…." Buffy shook her head. "Are we talking about killing him?"

"He's already dead."

"But he'd be dead-dead. Forever dead. It doesn't feel right to do that."

"I agree, but neither is leaving him here, trapped between realms, with no control over his fate, not able to touch anything, affect anything. Unable to fight."

"Letting him cross over seems the most merciful thing." Angel said.

Buffy sighed. "How?"

"Well, he wouldn't be stuck…."

"I mean how would we release him?"

"The amulet's protected, invulnerable to anything, but the magic that's protecting it doesn't work on hallowed ground." Wesley said.

"Hallowed." Connor repeated. "Like a church?"

"Or cemetery, yes. It has to be taken there and destroyed."

"Destroyed how?" Fred asked.

"I think a sharp blow would probably do the trick."

"Buffy," Angel slipped his hand into hers. "What do you think?"

She looked at him for a long moment, unsure what to do. "I think…. I want to sleep on it."

"Ok. We'll sleep on it." He squeezed her hand. "Guys…."

"We'll see you in themorning." Fred said.

* * *

Angel sat on the bed and watched Buffy brush her hair out in bathroom mirror. While he loved the fact that they were settling into a normal routine of two people living together for the first time and one of his new favorite things was to watch her go through her nightly routine, he was more concerned with the fact that she was upset at the moment. Her mind was going ninety miles an hour and it wasn't going to stop any time soon. She'd been extra quiet as they'd gotten undressed and ready for bed. Usually brushing out her hair didn't take this long, but she was distracted.

"Buffy." She looked over at him and set the brush down. "This isn't all on you."

"Isn't it?" She sighed and rubbed her face. "I'm the only one that seems to be on his side. I'm the only one that cares about him."

"You're not the only one. I care about him." Buffy snorted and turned the light off in the bathroom. "I do, Buffy." He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her as she planted her knees between his legs on the edge of the bed to steady herself. "Not only is he my grandchilde, he also means something to you. Yes, he gets on my nerves and we bicker, but he stepped up and fought by your side time and time again. He's saved you and he's saved the world. I do actually care about him."

Buffy moved away from Angel and sat down on the bed next to him. "When I told him I loved him down in the Hellmouth, I wasn't entirely lying to him. I really do care a lot about him because he was there for me. Even though things between us got…. Physically and emotionally abusive…. He was still on my side when no one else seemed to be. He…. Understood me. I can't just…. Kill him. We can't take that choice from him. We need to ask him what he wants."

Angel stared into the darkness of the bathroom for a long moment, processing the information that Buffy had just dropped on him. He hadn't known the extent of Buffy and Spike's relationship beyond the fact that they had slept together and he was in love with her. She had just given him a glimpse into how dark her world had gotten after being brought back from the dead and that Spike was the person who helped her face that darkness.

"Ok." He finally said, looking over at her and taking her hand. "When he pops back up here, we'll ask him."

She squeezed his hand. "Thank you."  
"What was…."

"What?"

"What was his response when you told him?"

Buffy smiled. "When I said the words to him, he said to me, 'No, you don't. You love him more than life itself and he's up there waiting for you.'"

"He just keeps surprising me." Angel chuckled. "Ok, let's get some sleep." The two of them crawled into bed and he pulled her back to him, nuzzling her neck.

"Well, look at you two." Spike said from the nearby windows.

"Aw, no. No. No, no!" Angel groaned.  
"Sitting in luxury's ample lap. Top of the world. Looking down on…. Well, everyone. It's good to be the king and queen, isn't it?"

Buffy sat up and glared at Spike as Angel growled, "Ground rules. Haunt us all you want during business hours, but this space is off limits."

"Relax, beefcake. I didn't come for a fight."

"Really?"

"Not that I could, right? Can't touch, can't affect anything…. Yeah, I overheard your little group powwow about me."  
"How much?" Buffy asked.

"Enough of enough."

"Spike…."

"Necromancer tried to make a deal with me."

"What?"

"Said he could bring me back, body and soul, if I used our close personal relationship to double-cross you two."

"Tempting." Angel said, crossing his arms. "So what'd you say?"

"You see, right there, that's the problem. You having to ask me that. I don't play for that side anymore, or haven't you heard? Besides…. Even if Mr. Death could do what he promised, I trust him about as much as you trust me."

"What was the deal?" Buffy asked.

Spike looked at Buffy. "I bring Angel to a cemetery, Hainsley uses his mojo, and installs me in Captain Forehead's body."  
"Ew."

"Yeah. I don't fancy traipsing around in _that_ …."

"Hey!" Angel protested.

"So, I'm telling you so we can get rid of this guy."

"You've got a plan?" Buffy asked.

"Don't I always? Kinda relies on the witchiest of witches, though."

"Willow?"

"The one and only. Figure if anyone can take this guy out, she's got the best shot at doing it permanently without a body count."

Buffy looked over at the clock. "She's probably asleep, but I'll make the call."

* * *

Angel walked with Wesley through the lobby of Wolfram and Hart. Willow had met Buffy, Angel, and Spike at the graveyard and magically stripped Hainsley of his powers. They had left the man sobbing in the cemetery and placed a call to the authorities that they had caught him robbing graves. The parlor of his house had been enough proof to put him away for a very long time.

"So, Spike came to you with this plan?" Wesley asked.

"More or less." Angel said, taking the files that Harmony offered him.

"Good work calling Willow in to strip Hainsley of his necromancy. I'm happy she came to your aid."

"Honestly, I think she's feeling really guilty for kicking Buffy out of her own house."

"Most likely." Wesley sighed. "Well, if Spike's going to be sticking around, it'd be prudent of him to share his plans with the rest of us in future."

"Yeah, well, sharing's not something Spike does very well."

"Preaching to the horse's mouth." Harmony muttered.

The elevator dinged and Buffy stepped out. "Hey." She walked over to the two men and wrapped her arm around Angel's waist.

"Did you have a nice breakfast with Fred?" Angel asked.

"Yeah." Buffy said. "It was really nice of her to invite me out. We had fun."

"We want you to feel welcome, Buffy." Wesley said. "The last time you worked with us wasn't an entirely pleasant experience."

The blonde Slayer shrugged. "All in a day's work for a Slayer, I guess. Has anyone seen Spike this morning?"

"No, but I'm sure he'll show up eventually today." Angel said.

Buffy nodded. "Probably." She looked at her watch. "We've got a meeting to get to."

"Then let's get going." Angel and Buffy headed for their office while Wesley moved off towards his.


	13. Unleashed

Angel sat on the top of a picnic table with Buffy on the bench between his legs. Connor stood a few feet away enjoying the view of the city. They were at a park up in the hills overlooking LA waiting for the others to arrive. Gunn was the first one there, followed by Lorne and Fred. She pulled out her device for finding bugs and began sweeping everyone with it. Wesley was the last to pull up on his motorcycle.

"Hey, uh, who wants some mu shu?" Lorne was saying. "I got beaucoup mu shu here."

"I'll take some, thanks." Fred said, scanning Wesley. "This little picnic was such a good idea."

"Yeah." Gunn agreed. "Why haven't we done this before?"

"Well, you know, you've all been working so hard…." Angel said.

"Has anyone seen the plum sauce?" Wesley asked.

Fred finished scanning Wesley and put the scanner back in the briefcase on the picnic table. "We're clean." She announced. "Nobody's listening."

Buffy looked at Wesley. "Everything ok? You were late."

"Thought I was being followed." He said.

"I get that we have to be careful, but feels weird hiding from the company we're supposed to be running." Gunn said.

"We're not hiding, we're being safe." Angel said. "There are factions at Wolfram & Hart, people who want to see us destroyed."

"But still, it's not like everyone there's evil." Fred said. "I mean, we work with these people. Some of em I see more than I see you guys, at least lately, anyway."

"And you think you can trust him?" Wesley asked her. "Them."

"What?"

"These people, the ones you're spending so much time with lately. Knox, for example."

"Uh, we're, you know, friendly, but he's under me, or I'm on top of him. Professionally. All I'm saying is, he…. He's not evil."

"That you know of. It's usually the ones you least expect." Buffy said.

"I think we're all agreed that the Senior Partners are evil." Angel said. "They put us in charge for a reason. What we need to know is: why?"

"We've only been there a month." Gunn said.

"Turns out running a company doesn't leave a lot of time for, you know, covert ops." Fred said.

"Yeah, I'm up to my horns in schmoozin' starlets and boozin' hipsters, Angel." Lorne said.

"What about Gunn?" Wesley asked.

"What about Gunn?" Gunn asked defensively.

"It's…. Well, what they put in your head." Fred clarified. "All that law knowledge and whatever. Maybe you know something, more than the rest of us."

"The alteration to your mental capacity…." Wesley started.

"My capacity's the same as it's always been." Gunn said. "The good doctor just revved up some idling brain cells, set them in motion."

"It's a legitimate concern." Angel said. "You gave them access to…."

"I made a deal. We all did. Seems like I'm the only one who's willing to accept that. Everybody here got something out of this."

"Fear, mistrust, a great motor pool." Angel looked at Buffy. "An even better co-CEO." Buffy grinned up at him.

"I got the Nancy Sinatra collection." Lorne said. "Original 45s."

"I did get a rather nice pen." Wesley said. He pulled his pen out of his pocket. "Sterling. Has my name on it."

"I got an amazing and large shoe collection to go with my wardrobe." Buffy said, admiring her Louboutins. "Woke up the day after signing the contract and there they all were." She looked up sheepishly. "Which is totally not the point at all."

"No, the point is what, that I'm some spy for the senior partners?" Gunn asked.

"I didn't that."

"Just thinking it."

"Not at all, actually."

"The point is, the Senior Partners have a plan for us," Angel said. "And if we're not prepared…."

"Angel, it's not like we don't want to be ready." Fred said. "We just have, you know, plates…. big, heaping, full plates."

"Between running our departments, handling clients, dealing with Spike…." Wesley said.

"Spike is a distraction." Angel said.

"He's not a distraction." Buffy argued.

"He's got Fred looking for a way to fix him when she's got lots of other things to work on. Wesley has been researching the amulet for explanations…."

"Ok, he's a little bit of a distraction."

"As soon as he's released from his ties from Wolfram & Hart…."

"Which could take years." Wesley inserted.

"Using the amulet to destroy the Hellmouth," Fred said. "It turned Spike into…."

"A spook?" Lorne offered.

"Well, he's more than a ghost. He's something unique."

"Regardless, whatever binds him…." Wesley started.

"Can I borrow your pen?" Connor asked suddenly.

Wesley shot Connor a glare, but handed the pen over. "Sure."

Connor took off running just as Buffy and Angel heard the scream of a woman followed by the snarl of a beast. They both looked up and realized it was the full moon. Buffy was off and running first with Angel hot on her heels. By the time they caught up to Connor, he was shoving Wesley's silver pen through the thing's chest. The werewolf collapsed and immediately turned back into the shape of a man.

"Where did the girl go?" Buffy asked.

"I guess she ran away while I was fighting this…. Thing." Connor said. The sound of car tires screeched in the distance.

"Was she bit?"

"I don't know. I didn't see."

"Were you bit?" Angel asked.

"No. I'm good. Why?"

"That's a werewolf." Buffy explained. "Or it was. How did you know to use silver on it?"

"I didn't. I just didn't have time to get to the weapons in our trunk, so I took Wesley's pen. Silver kills werewolves?"

"Yes." Angel said. "Are you sure you're weren't bitten?"

"Yeah. Not a scratch." He looked down at the dead man. "I'm sorry I killed him. I didn't mean to."

"You didn't know."

Buffy knelt down and examined the body. "He looks like he was feral and very hungry."

Angel looked down at the body. "He bit the woman."

"Yeah. There's blood on his mouth." Buffy stood up. "I guess we should get this guy back to Wolfram and Hart. See if he has any family we can notify." She looked over at Connor with concern. "You ok?"

"Yeah." Connor nodded, staring at the dead man. "I think so."

* * *

Buffy sat with Gunn on the couch in her and Angel's office. Angel was at their desk finishing up a sketch of the girl from the park that Connor had saved. The father and son had spent a good portion of the morning making the sketch from Connor's memory.

"She was definitely bitten." Buffy was saying. "And tonight's the second night of the full moon. She's got two more nights to go full wolfy. So we've got a couple of hours till moonrise."

"We'll find her." Gunn said.

"I hope so. She won't even know what's happening to her."

"Well, she'll figure it out soon enough. McManus did."

"Who's McManus?" Angel asked.

"The guy Connor…. Uh, killed. I pulled his credit card records, cross-checked 'em with police reports. He left his wife and kids a couple years ago, kept moving, staying in the middle of nowhere most of the time. First year or so, a few mangled bodies showed up here and there, but the last 6 months, guy was leaving corpses like bread crumbs."

"Probably tried to control it for a while and just gave up. Thought he had to fight it alone, ended up with nothing worth fighting for. But this girl, she's not alone. She's got us." Angel stood up and handed the sketch to Gunn. "Finished. Let's get this out there and find her."

"On it." Gunn said, standing up and headed out of the office.

Angel took Gunn's vacated seat next to Buffy. "Connor's pretty upset that he killed that werewolf."

"I know." Buffy said, taking Angel's hand. "He didn't know any better. They didn't exactly have werewolves in hell. Surprisingly."

"And he's never encountered any since he's been back."

"He's down in the lab helping out where he can. We should go check on him."

Angel stood back up and helped Buffy to her feet. Down in the lab, Connor was pacing furiously looking every bit like his father. "You're trying to tell me that we're useless?" He was complaining. "All this resources…."

"We're doing everything we can." Wesley said.

"There's two years of history on a dead man and we can't get one lead on a living, breathing girl."

"Fingerprints." Fred said. "Have his, don't have hers."

"There must be something where she was attacked."

"So far, not even an earring." Wesley said.

"Connor, we're trying." Angel said, trying to soothe his son. "We'll find her."

"Hey Fred," Buffy said, walking over to the taller brunette. "Anything on the tire prints yet?"

"Not yet, but I'm working on it." Fred said.

"Psychics are working on traces of the girl's blood." Wesley said. "They picked up images, imprints." He handed a sketch to Angel.

"Must be her bedroom." Angel said, handing the sketch to Buffy.

"Could they maybe make it clearer?" Buffy asked.

"It's not like a photograph." Wesley said.

"Well that sucks."

"Who's that taking pictures of the body?" Angel asked.

"Dr. Royce is the cryptozoologist on my staff." Wesley explained. "I brought him in to tell us what we'll be dealing with when we find the girl."

"Pretty rare breed you've got here." Dr. Royce said. " _Lycanthropus exterus_. Undocumented in North America. Until now, obviously."

"How is it different from a standard werewolf?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, biped, for one thing. Walks upright. Canines are a bit longer than normal. Arm span is…."

"I don't care about that." Connor snapped. "All I care about is the girl."

"That's rough." Spike said. "Cause here on out, she's in the kill-or-be-killed club."

"Here on out, she's under our protection." Angel replied.

"If you find her before she turns. Catch her after she goes all growly, won't be easy taking her out. I had a wee spat with a werewolf myself once. Fought for over an hour. Brutal, vicious. Almost lost my…."

"Connor killed him with a pen." Buffy interrupted, grinning at Spike.

"Show off." Spike said to Connor.

"Can I see what you've got on the tire prints, Fred?"

Fred brought up the photo of the tire prints on her computer. "Those fine lines? Bad for the car, good for us. Apparently, they mean old tires, at least 5 years."

Gunn walked into the lab just then with a folder. "Nice sketch. Somebody saw your girl last night. East Hollywood."

Angel glanced through the file and handed it to Buffy. "All right, we're looking for a mid-size sedan, at least 5 years old, somewhere in the Hollywood area."

"Tick-tock, tick-tock." Spike said. "The moon's a-risin', ladies and gents."

"I'm in the DMV database, but there are thousands of possible matches." Wesley said.

"I have an idea." Buffy said. She walked over to Wesley. "Are we plugged into the traffic cameras around the city?"

"Yes."

"Being a werewolf's chew toy isn't exactly fun stuff. She probably couldn't tell the difference between a red light and a green light."

"I'm looking at the cameras." Gunn said. "You get set to run with it if I find a match. Course I might leak the info to the Senior Partners, cause we're tight."

"Just do it." Wesley snapped.

"Is the van ready?" Angel asked.

"Yep. I triple checked." Fred assured him.

"Good, cause we've got less barely an hour now."

"A lot of fuss over one girl." Spike said to Fred. "Other things to do around here…. important things."

"You know that whoosh thing that you do when you're suddenly not there anymore?" Connor snapped at Spike. "I love that."

"10:19 last night, 1992 Honda Civic ran a red light at Western and Franklin." Gunn said. "Blond woman." He pulled the picture off the printer and Connor took it from him.  
"That's her!"

"License number: 2ABM-543."

"Address: 2315 Harvard. Name: Nina Ash." Wesley announced a moment later.

"Let's go adopt a were-puppy." Buffy said.

* * *

Buffy waited outside of Nina's cell for the were-woman to wake up. She heard shuffling and gave her a moment to put on the clothes that had been left for her. When the shuffling stopped, Buffy turned walked into the room. She silently unlocked the cell door as Nina stared at her.

"What…. who are you?" Nina backed away from Buffy.

"My name's Buffy. You're safe now."  
"Safe? Oh. Well…. great. That's…." Nina tried to run past Buffy, but the smaller blonde stopped her. "Get off me! Let go of me! Help me, somebody!"

"I'm trying to, Nina. Quit struggling before you end breaking your arm."

"How do you know my name? What do you want with me?"

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I just…. There's something you need to see, ok? It'll explain why you're here and why you don't remember last night."

"Last night?"

Buffy gave her a nod and gestured for Nina to follow her. She led the scared woman up to her and Angel's office where Angel and Connor were waiting. Buffy introduced them quickly as she led Nina over to the computer screen. On the screen, a video of a werewolf pacing inside a cage could be seen.  
"I don't…. What am I supposed to be looking…. God, what is that?" Nina asked.

"2 nights ago you were attacked in the woods. You were jogging." Buffy said.

"Jogging. Wait. Yeah. I remember that I…. that thing attacked me."

"Not exactly." Buffy gestured at herself, Angel, and Connor. "We were in the area, Connor heard screams, but by the time her got there…."

Nina looked at Connor. "That was you. Yeah, I remember you. You saved me."

"I was too late." Connor said apologetically.

On the video, the werewolf collapsed to the floor of the cage and transformed into Nina. "Oh, my god!"

"It was a werewolf, Nina," Angel said. "And you were bitten."

"No. This is…. insane."

"The bite already started a process. You may have already started to feel the effects: Distorted vision, heightened senses…."

"Blood. Jill, my sister, she was cooking meat. Oh, my god. I…. I smelled the blood. It was making me…. Oh, god, Amanda, my niece!"

"She's ok." Buffy said. "And so's your sister."

"No, you don't get it."

"Nina, it's ok."

"No, it's not!"

"You didn't…."

"I wanted to rip her throat out!"

"It wasn't you." Angel assured her. "It was that thing inside."

"Oh, like there's a difference?"

"There is."

"A big one." Buffy muttered.

"I know this is a lot to take…."

"Don't tell me what you know." Nina snapped. "You didn't wake up and find out you're a monster. You don't know anything."

"I'm not a werewolf like you, but I…. I know what it's like. I'm a monster, too."

"Neither of you are monsters." Buffy interjected. "If you are, then I am, too." She turned to Nina. "Angel's a vampire. Connor is his biological son. I'm a Vampire Slayer."

"What?"

"None of us are evil. Angel has a soul. Like you."

"But vampires kill people, and they…."

"Can control themselves if they want to." Angel interrupted. "I do it every day, and so can you."

"We'll help you." Connor offered.

"Can you cure me?" Nina asked.

"No." Angel said.

"But we can keep you safe." Connor added.

"How?" Nina asked, sitting down on the couch.  
"Well, I have a friend that's also a werewolf." Buffy said. "When it was his…. Time of the month, he would lock himself up in a cell."

"I have to lock myself up every month?"

"It's best for everyone if you're not roaming the streets as a werewolf three nights of the month."

"You can stay here. I promise you'll be safe." Connor said. Nina nodded at him, hugging herself as she sat down on the couch.

Buffy looked at Angel and nodded towards the doorway. They left Connor to comfort Nina and headed out into the lobby. "Someone's got a crush." She said.

"I noticed." Angel smirked as he shut the door.

Fred and Dr. Royce had been waiting in the lobby and they stepped over to Buffy and Angel. "How is she doing?" Fred asked.

"Oh, agreed to stay in the holding cell tonight, but she's pretty scared. So, what do we do now?"

"We wait for the show." Spike said, walking up to them. "Should be a good one. Everyone on pins and needles, dreading the moonrise, then pop goes the werewolf."

"We can't stop what's gonna happen, but we can keep her from getting hurt." Buffy retorted.

"These first few transformations are the worst." Dr. Royce said. "Werewolf's strength combined with the disorientation and fear…."

"You mean, she could hurt herself?" Fred asked.

"Oh, I've seen them bang their heads against walls, claw at their own skin…."

"We'll just have to tranq her and let her sleep through it." Buffy said.

"Well, that could work for tonight, but, uh, over the long haul, bad idea."

"Well, there has to be something." Fred said.

"They like familiar scents, images. Maybe if you took her home, let her get a few things, could have a calming effect."

"Fetching her blanky's not gonna make a bloody bit of difference." Spike said.

"Spike, really not helping." Fred groaned.

"I'm just saying, the girl's a killer. Maybe not tonight or tomorrow, but she will get out of that cage."

"Not if she doesn't want to." Angel argued.

"Oh, she'll want to." Dr. Royce said. "It's unfortunate, but…."

"And when it's not that time of month?" Spike added. "She'll be wracked by the guilties. What with a soul and all."  
"Didn't seem to bother you." Angel retorted.

"Oh, it's been nothing but a pain in my…." Spike disappeared.

"Finally."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'll take Nina by her house."

"Buffy, you and Angel have a meeting in twenty minutes." Harmony piped up. "They're already here. Gunn's getting them settled in the conference room."

"I think Connor wants to make sure she's ok." Angel said. "We can let him take her."

"Good idea." Buffy said.

"We'll have him take security, though. In case she changes her mind."

"I think Connor can handle her by himself." Buffy gestured through the windows where they could see Connor sitting with Nina holding her hand and patting it for comfort.

* * *

Connor, Buffy, Angel, Wesley, Fred, and Gunn stood around Buffy and Angel's office. Connor was nursing a nasty bump on his forehead, holding an ice pack to it. He and Nina had been attacked when they left her house. Someone had killed his car's driver and shot him with a couple of tranq darts. They had taken off with Nina, leaving him passed out on the street.

"Lorne's read the entire security team already, and the lab staff, as well as half of my department." Wesley said.

"If the kidnappers have someone inside Wolfram & Hart, Lorne'll know." Angel assured Connor.

"What if she was detected somehow before we found her?"

"By who?" Buffy asked.

"They were so organized." Connor said. "They were almost like the military guys I see in movies."

"An underground monster-hunting military organization. Sounds familiar."

"You know them?"

"I knew _of_ an underground monster-hunting military organization. They got shut down, though."

Connor stood up suddenly and threw the ice pack across the room. "It's all my fault! I'm so stupid."

"Calm down, Connor." Angel said. "Anything happens to Nina, it's on me."

"No it's not! It's on me! I was supposed to protect her and I let her get taken!"

"You didn't let her get taken." Buffy soothed. "Trust me, those tranq darts were no joke. You got hit with two of them."

"This wasn't your fault." Angel squeezed Connor's shoulder. Dr. Royce knocked on the door before he walked in. "What do you got?"  
"Usual suspects." Royce said. "There's the sacrificers, wackos who want to rid the world of abominations, and werewolf packs looking for new recruits. Then there's the paranormal sporting groups. Vampire hunting in Eastern Europe. That kind of thing."

"I'll be…." Fred rushed out of the office.

Buffy glanced after her, but shrugged it off. "I could make a couple of calls. See if Oz knows of anything packs around here looking for recruitments."

"You still talk to him?" Angel asked, surprised. Buffy and Oz, while being friends, had never had the attachment that the rest of Buffy's friends had to her. Once Willow had chosen Tara over Oz, the stoic werewolf hadn't been heard from as far as Angel knew.

"Every now and then he checks in on Willow. He lives at this compound thing in India somewhere. It's like an ashram for werewolves."

"Nice."

Buffy's, Gunn's, and Wesley's cell phones beeped and they pulled them out to find an urgent text from Fred. "I'll be…." Buffy started.

"Excuse me." Wesley said.

"Be right back." Gunn added.

They both headed out of the office and headed down the hall to find Fred. She had asked them to come to Dr. Royce's office. When they got there, Dr. Royce was unconscious on the floor.

"Um…." Buffy looked at Fred.

"I found this in his trash." She held up a little glass vial.

* * *

Buffy dragged Royce into her and Angel's office by his neck. Gunn and Wesley were helping Fred go through Royce's office to see what he'd known. The substance in the little glass vial had helped him lie to Lorne. She kicked in the doors, causing Angel and Connor to jump slightly, and threw Royce on the floor.

"Ok, Dr. Doolittle, where is she?" Buffy demanded, advancing on the man.

"I don't know what you're…." Royce started.

"What's going on?" Angel asked.

"He's hiding something about Nina. Fred found a little vial of hide-the-truth serum in his trash. And now," She leaned down with a knife she'd produced from somewhere on her person. "He's going to start singing."

"It's a secret!" Royce yelled. "If I tell you, this man, he's not like you. You're a good person, but he's a..,."  
"I've got a knife to your throat!"

"No offense, but he's scarier than you."

Buffy stood up and dropped the knife, letting the tip embed in the floor perfectly between Royce's legs. "Angel?" Angel vamped out and growled, moving towards Royce. "Have you met my boyfriend, the Scourge of Europe? I bet he's scarier than your friend."

* * *

Royce knocked on the door of the mansion and a moment later, a small window opened. After the man checked to see that it was Royce, he opened the doors. Gunn was the first one in and punched the man in the face. Behind him Connor, Buffy, Angel, Wesley, and Dr. Royce walked into the house.

"I'm all up in the law now, but damn it feels good to get my violence on." Gunn said to Buffy.

"Sometimes you just have to let loose." Buffy agreed, kicking away another man.

"Crane's not gonna like this." Royce complained.

"If I were you, I'd just be hoping Nina's alive." Connor growled at him.

"She has to be, at least through dinner." Wesley explained. "Once a werewolf dies, it reverts to its human state."

"You mean, to eat werewolf, they got to eat her alive?" Gunn asked.

"Evan, you've brought guests." Crane said as they walked into the main room.

"We're just here to pick up a friend." Angel said as Gunn pointed a shotgun at Crane. Buffy grabbed a large silver platter and knocked the chef out with it.

Connor ran over to Nina lying bound and gagged on a serving cart. "They garnished you?" He asked, pulling off Nina's gag.

"No, get away!" Nina cried. "Just let them choke on me."

"I'm not leaving you here. Tomorrow you're gonna be home and perfectly fine, ok?"

"This is what I am. I can't go back there, ever. This is better."

Buffy walked over with a heavy urn she found. "There's nothing better about ending up in a doggy bag." She said, using the urn to help break her bonds.

"What, no leprechaun souffle?" Gunn asked, glancing at a menu.

"There's no such thing as leprechauns." Crane said.

More men with guns snuck up on Wesley and Gunn, pointing weapons at the backs of their heads. "We've hit a snag." Wesley announced.

"We're not leaving without the girl." Angel said.

"I'm willing to let my men die." Crane said. "Can you say the same?"

Gunn pointed his shotgun at Crane. "I go, you're going with me."

"It's a risk. What can I say?"

Buffy suddenly threw the urn at the back of Crane's head, knocking him down and leaving him dazed. "Probably should've told me to drop that." One of the men with guns aimed it at Buffy and fired. Connor pulled Buffy away just as a newly turned werewolf Nina sat up and growled. Buffy and Connor rolled away as she lunged at the guests, biting a man on the neck and ripping his throat out. Wesley called Buffy's name and she flipped to her feet, catching the tranq gun out of mid-air and shooting Nina twice with it. The werewolf fell to the ground.

"This is the part where we take our friend and go." Angel said to Crane.

"I'm afraid not. Tonight may not be salvageable, but my guests have paid a high price." Crane glanced at the dead man missing his throat. "Some higher than others. And I promised them a werewolf."

"Guess you'll just have to refund them their money." Buffy said, punching Crane in the face and knocking him out. She turned to the guests "This little dinner party is out of business. If I even get a whiff of it happening again, I will burn the house down with you people in it. Got me?" The patrons all took off running, clearly scared of Buffy. She looked at Royce. "See? I can be pretty scary."

* * *

Angel drove the four door, silver Mercedes up to Nina's house. Buffy was in the passenger seat and Connor and Nina were in the backseat. "This is it." Angel announced.

Nina watched her niece drawing in chalk on the sidewalk for a long moment. "She's a really good artist."

"Our refrigerator's always available if she's looking to show." Buffy said.

"How do you live with it?" Nina asked Angel. "Knowing that you've…. Killed people?"

"Nina, they were going to eat you for dinner." Angel said.

"I just wanna wake up. You know?"

"At some point you'll be at the grocery store or with Amanda, and the whole werewolf thing…. It'll just be a part of who you are."

"Next you're gonna tell me you actually like being a vampire."

"Well, being nearly indestructible is cool."

"The stamina is pretty handy, too." Buffy said. Nina and Connor gave her disturbed looks. "Hey, he's gotta keep up with me in a fight."

"Sure." Connor laughed.

Nina looked at her sister and niece. "I can't tell them."

"Maybe, maybe not. That part's not covered in the manual." Angel said.

"It is in the Slayer Handbook and I've firmly ignored that rule." Buffy said with a laugh. "I pretty much tell everyone who I am these days."

"You're supposed to be keeping it a secret?" Connor asked.

"To be fair, no one ever gave me a copy of the Slayer Handbook. I've been going at this blind for years!"

"You don't ever think about letting go, disappearing somewhere?" Nina asked.

"Once upon a time, that's all I wanted to do."

"And now?"

"Now?" Buffy looked over at Angel and took his hand. "I'm right where I want to be. If I wasn't who and what I am, I never would've met the love of my life and had these amazing experiences."

Angel leaned over and kissed Buffy lightly. "Take it from me, Nina, if you separate yourself from the ones you love, the monster wins." He said.

"You make it sound simple."

"It's not." Buffy, Angel, and Connor said in unison.

Nina looked over at Connor and smiled. "See you next month." He smiled at her as his face turned red. She didn't notice his blush as she got out of the car and walked up to her sister and niece.

* * *

Willow, Giles, Dawn, Lorne, Fred, Gunn, and Wesley all stared out the window of Buffy and Angel's penthouse. Buffy and Angel were curled up together on the couch. Connor was playing a video game on the entertainment system with Xander.

"Mm, talk about a room with a view." Lorne said, walking away from the window and grinning at Buffy and Angel.

"Wow, is that the hotel?" Willow asked.

"Where?" Wesley asked. "No I think that's the Center for Scientology."

"Oh. Yeah. They look nothing alike at all." She laughed with Fred.

"I was starting to think we were never gonna see the inside of this place." Gunn said.

"We're sorry." Angel said. "We probably should've had everyone over sooner, but we're still trying to get used to the place ourselves."

"I love how you two have already started talking in 'WEs'." Xander said. "'We're sorry.' 'We should have.'"

"Don't knock it." Willow said, walking by and poking Xander's arm. "They've earned it."

"Yes," Giles agreed. "You two do seem very happy."

"I don't think I've ever seen Angel this settled." Wesley said. "Buffy has been extremely wonderful to have around."

"Awe, thank you." Buffy said.  
"It's nice to have another female around, too." Fred added.

"Have you been to the mall with her?" Willow asked. "She's the Slayer of Vampires and Shopping!"  
"We should do that one day, Fred." Buffy said to her.

"Ok!" Fred said.

Lorne finally spotted the bar. "Look at this. I'm home! Hey, cosmos all around?"

"Sounds good." Buffy said.

"Quite luxurious." Wesley said to their hosts.

"Yeah, it's not bad." Angel agreed, not taking his eyes off Buffy. She reached up and kissed him happily.

"Don't mean to talk shop, but Crane's Bistro of the Bizarre…." Gunn said.

"Out of business. Permanently." Buffy said. "I meant what I said."

"What if I have a craving for Sasquatch Soup?" Giles asked, sitting down on the couch opposite Buffy and Angel. Willow sat down on the couch with them, smiling at Buffy.

"Is that something you English eat with your beans on toast?" Gunn asked Giles.

"Mmm, you guys are making me hungry." Fred said. She held up a menu she had procured from the drawer by the phone. "Who wants Chinese?"

"Long as nothing comes tar-tar, I'm in."

Fred offered Wesley a menu, but he shook his head. "No, I'm too tired to make any decisions."

Xander paused them game, causing Connor to protest. "Did I hear food? What are we having?"

"Just order the usual, Fredikins." Lorne said.

"I'm buying." Angel said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, hell just froze over." Xander said, pretending to be shocked by Angel's generosity.

"Shut up." Angel said, shaking his head.

"So Connor, werewolf girl? Think you got a shot?" Gunn asked.

"She gave me a look." Connor said.

"Really? A look?" Xander asked.

"She told Connor she would see him next month." Buffy said. "Completely ignored me and Angel."

"I think she would be good for you, Connor." Fred said. "She's nice. Oh, hi!" She walked away from the group to order their food.

"How's everything going with the Slayers?" Buffy asked Willow and Giles.

"It's good." Willow said.

"I've collected some of the remaining Watchers and we've found a compound outside of London." Giles said. "We'll begin sending people over next week."

"Are you reforming the Watcher's Council?" Angel asked.

"Essentially. There will be some rather drastic changes from the old regime. Buffy changed the game and I rather say, her way is working much better than before."

"I agree." Wesley said.

"If you ever tire of Wolfram and Hart, you're welcome to come work for us. The benefits aren't as nice as of yet, though."

"I'll keep it in mind."

"Are you sure you don't want to help them out?" Angel asked Buffy quietly, his mouth gently pressed against her ear.

She looked up at him. "I'm happy where I am." He smiled and kissed her, making everyone around them groan at their display of affection.


	14. Hellbound

Angel pressed Buffy up against the elevator doors, kissing her fiercely. She had her hands roaming up the back of his shirt, sending trails of fire everywhere her warm fingers touched his cool skin. They were both emitting little contented growls and moans. When the doors opened, they both tumbled into the private elevator where Buffy was pinned against the back wall by Angel's much larger body.

Just as the doors began to close, Eve appeared and stopped them. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Angel turned with a growl and Buffy glared at the liaison. "You always are. What do you want?" The blonde Slayer snapped.

"Fred's waiting outside. We need to have that meeting."

"Why now?" Angel asked. "It's the end of the day. We're going home."

"This will take ten minutes." Eve stepped aside and held the elevator doors open.

Buffy and Angel both groaned and adjusted their clothing. They went and sat down behind the extra-large desk as Eve went to get Fred.

Once everyone was seated accordingly, Eve looked at Angel expectantly. "Um, I know how difficult it's been going from a small detective agency to running Wolfram & Hart." Angel said, shifting uncomfortably. "And we've all been adjusting, but…."

"It's ok." Fred said. "Wes just gave me the talk. And I'm going to have a good meal and at least 6 hours of sleep, so everybody can just stop worrying. I'm fine. Really."

"Good. That's…."

"Oh for crap's sake!" Buffy snapped. "Eve is pitching a fit because of how much the Practical Science Department's been spending lately."

"Oh." Fred said. "Um…. yeah, I guess I may have gone over my projections by a few."

"$800,000." Eve said. "That's how much you've exceeded your quarterly budget. And the quarter ain't over yet, sweetie." She sat down on the edge of Angel's desk and Buffy glared at her till she stood back up.

"Look, I…. I know it sounds like…. I mean, it is a lot of money, but I…. I'm trying to do something that's never been done before. So, yeah, attempting to recorporealize Spike is gonna cost…."

"Whoa! Trying to do what?" Angel asked.

"Make Spike corporeal again like you asked."

"Uh, no, what I asked for was for you to try to find a way to get Spike out of Wolfram and…."

"It's what I asked." Buffy said.

"You? What? Why?"

"Because he hates being a ghost or whatever he is. He saved the world, the least we can do is save him from purgatory or hell or wherever he's been popping off to."

"She's right, Angel." Fred said. "We accepted the offer to take over the L.A. Branch of an evil, multi-dimensional law firm because we thought we could make a difference. Use the resources of Wolfram & Hart to do something decent. He just saved the world. Vampire with a soul fighting for the good of humanity. Ring anything? He's just like you: a champion."

"Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that." Buffy muttered.

"God, I really hate that word." Angel grumbled.

"Think of what an asset he'd be fighting on our side." Fred said.

"Angel knows what an asset he is because he knows what it's like having Spike fighting on our side." Buffy said, giving Angel serious side-eye.

Angel sighed. He knew when he was beat. "I just want you to be careful, Fred, because I know how charming Spike can be."

Eve hummed an approval, saying, "He is quite the dish, with those eyes…."

"And the hair and the cheeks and…." Fred rolled her eyes. "What do you think I am, stupid? I know he's been playing me with the looks and the smiles. I'm not some idiot schoolgirl with a crush."

"Then what is it?" Angel asked.

"It's about doing what's right. Remember?"

Before Angel could argue further, Buffy said, "It's your department, Fred, so it's your call."

"Just don't be disappointed if it doesn't work." Angel muttered. "Some people can't be saved."

"Sorry we wasted your time, Fred." Buffy said with an annoyed glance at Eve. "Go home and get some sleep, ok?"

"Thanks, Buffy." Fred got up and hurried out, seeing the storm that was about to crash into Angel.

Buffy didn't even look at Eve. "Get out."

Eve didn't budge as she said, "Do you realize how much money you just…."

Buffy cut the woman off. "I said get out. And please, let the door hit you on your way." She waited until Eve had exited the office. "Angel…."  
"Don't." Angel said.  
"Oh, I'm gonna. You've got to stop ragging on Spike so much! We've had this discussion. You said you cared about him, too."

"I do, but it doesn't mean I want to throw everything Fred's got at him to try and make him corporeal again. She's got better things to do with her time and her department's budget."

"Fred's a big girl. If she wants to help Spike, then she can help him. I'm behind her 100 percent and you should be, too."

"Buffy…."

"This could've been you and I would've moved heaven and Earth to fix you."

"That's different. You and I…. We're together. He…."

"Doesn't deserve to be stuck the way he is now any more than you would if you had worn that amulet."

"What about…."

"Willow doesn't work for Wolfram and Hart. Which is where that amulet came from. This is Wolfram and Hart's fault, so I don't see why they shouldn't foot the bill to fix what they broke."

"When you put it that way…."

"I know." Angel looked over at her with his brown eyes set to wounded puppy mode. "Oh, stop. I'm not that mad at you." She stood up and slid onto his lap. "Take me upstairs."

* * *

Angel laughed as Buffy recounted a story of when she and a newly turned vampire had a long counseling session. She was sitting on the counter by the stove in one of his button up shirts watching him cook pancakes. He was in a pair of loose lounge pants and they both had that post-sex glow of happiness to them.

"It was actually very cathartic." Buffy laughed. "Despite ending with me finding out that Spike had turned him."

"I still don't understand how that worked." Angel said. "His chip was still in his head, then, right?"

"Yeah. Maybe he just doesn't remember it going off because the First blocked his memory of it."

Angel flipped the pancakes over and looked at her. "What made you even start talking to that vampire?"

"He knew me from high school. He was a nice guy, I think."

"You don't remember him?"

"Not really. High school was…. Well, I was a little busy to remember everyone I came in contact with. Especially guys." She paused. "Oh …. Where is the high school ten year reunion going to be at? We destroyed Sunnydale."

"You were actually planning on going?"

Buffy shrugged. "Maybe. Who knows if I'll even make it to then?" She ignored the glare he shot her way at the thought of her impending demise. "I think I was just more curious about seeing how many of my graduating class actually made it back alive."

"Well isn't this a cozy scene?" Spike said, suddenly appearing next to Buffy.

"Shop's closed, Spike." Angel said. "Come back and haunt us tomorrow."

"Air's too rarefied up here for my taste, anyhows. Down with the dregs is where I belong, isn't it?"

"You don't belong in the dregs." Buffy said.

Spike smiled at her. "I thought we could hang. Couple of vampires from the old days with their Slayer doing our…. hangy thing."

Angel set the pancakes on a plate and looked over at Spike. "You're starting to feel it, aren't you? How close you are now to hell?"

"What if I am? Not like it's such a big, bleeding deal, is it? If a ponce like you could break out…."

"I never escaped from hell. All I got was a short reprieve. Not even sure how I managed that."

"Oh, put your martyr away, Mahatma. Fred told me all about your great, shining prophecy. Pile up all your good deeds and get the big brass ring handed to you like everything else."

"I'm sorry, what?" Buffy asked.

"You didn't know?"

"Spike…." Angel warned.

"Apparently the big poof here has a prophecy saying that he'll get to be human one day once he's saved the world enough times."

Buffy turned to look at Angel with wide eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because the prophecy's a bunch of bull." Angel said. "They all are."

"Not true and you know it."

"Nothing's written in stone or fated to happen. You save the world, you end up running an evil law firm."

"Or playing Casper with one foot in the fryer." Spike interjected.

Buffy hopped down off the counter and walked over to Angel. "Ok, one: you chose to run this law firm because you believe we can use it for good. Destroy the evil from within. And two: prophecies are not a bunch of bull. I've been a part of enough of them to know that."

"You think any of it matters? The things I did? The lives I destroyed. That's all that's ever gonna count."

"Clearly it's not if there's a prophecy out there that says your good deeds count for something. And clearly you're meant to have your reward!"

"Why?"

"Because I'm here, Angel. We're together. We're fighting side by side. You'll be human again one day and we can finally be two normal people."

"This is why I didn't tell you. I didn't want to get your hopes up."

"My hopes are up because I believe in you, Angel. I believe in us and the good that we both do. Besides, if you really believed you're bound for hell and not the reward this prophecy promises, then why do you even bother fighting?"  
"What else are we gonna do?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow at him. "That's a Spike excuse if I ever heard one."

"Hey!" Spike protested. She looked over at him with a questioning glare. "Ok, fair. It is."

She turned back to Angel. "You don't save the world because you're bored or because you have a chip in your head that kind of forces you to fight with the good guys. You didn't get a soul to impress me."

"Hey!" Spike protested again. And again, Buffy shot him a glare. He shrugged. "I'll stop interrupting. Go on with your pep talk."

"Thank you." Buffy looked up at Angel. "You fight for the good guys because that's who you are. You're a good man, Angel. You believe in the good fight. So don't even try handing me that 'what else are we gonna do' line, because I know you better than that." She reached up on tiptoe and kissed him gently. "Now, I'm going to the bathroom and then chowing down on pancakes."

The two men watched her bounce off to the bedroom before Spike said, "So that's it for me, then. I really am going to burn." He shrugged. "Least I got company till then, eh? You and me, together again. Hope and Crosby. Stills and Nash. Chico and the…."

"Yeah, are you done?" Angel asked, going back to the kitchen to get the butter and syrup out.

"Never much for small talk, were you? Always too busy trying to perfect that brooding block-of-wood mystique. God, I love that."

"Not as much as I loved your nonstop yammering."

"The way you always had to be the big swingy, swaggerin' around, barkin' orders…."

"Never listening…."

"Always interrupting…."

"And your hair. What color do they call that, radioactive?"

"Never much cared for you, Liam, even when we were evil."

"Cared for you less."

"Fine."

"Good." Angel set the plates down on the table and paused. "There was one thing about you…."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I never told anybody about this, but I…. I liked your poems."  
Spike scowled at him. "You like Barry Manilow."

Angel noticed Spike's attention wasn't on him, but looking at something behind him. He turned, but didn't see anything. "What is it?"

"Don't you see it?"

"See what?"

"Nothing. Too much talk of fire and brimstone." Spike turned to look at Buffy walking back in and stumbled back, startled by something.

"What?" Buffy smoothed down her hair. "I just brushed it. It can't be that bad."

"He's seeing something." Angel said. "Something we can't."

"Spike…." She walked over to him. "What is it?"

"You really can't see them?" Spike asked her.

"Them?" Buffy looked around, but it was only her, Angel, and Spike in the room.

"Ghosts!"

Connor came out of his room. "What's wrong?"

"Spike's seeing ghosts."

"I'm calling Wesley." Angel said, walking over to the phone.

A few minutes later, Buffy and Angel were trying to calm Spike down. Buffy had put on a pair of yoga pants and a sweater and Angel had thrown on a tank top. Connor was dressed in his lounge pants and a Nirvana shirt that Xander had given him. Wesley and Fred walked into the apartment and looked at Spike in confusion.

"Piss off!" Spike yelled. "I'm trying to have a conversation here! Shut up!"

"Who's he talking to?" Wesley asked.

"Ghosts, apparently." Buffy answered.

"Where?" Fred asked.

"Everywhere!" Spike cried. "The blighters are coming out of the woodwork! No, I am not talking to you! Go away!"

Gunn and Eve walked in behind Wesley and Fred. "We just checked with security."

"They do hourly sweeps with the mystics to secure against spectral intrusion." Eve explained.

"So how many are we dealing with?" Angel asked.

"None. Last sweep was ten minutes ago. Spike's the only non-corporeal in the building." Gunn said.

"Check again." Spike demanded.

"Maybe we should go back to the lab?" Fred suggested.

"No, I'm telling you, they're here. You have to check again. Something's happening…. Fred, please, you have to use that perfect brain of yours and get me the hell out of here." Spike faded away mid-sentence.

"Spike?" Buffy asked, looking around for him.

"Where'd he go?" Eve asked.

"He does this sometimes." Angel said.

"We should spread out, see if we can findhim." Fred said. "We just need to find him."

* * *

Buffy walked into the lab where Fred was working on equations. She was muttering to herself, "Carry the quotient load across the remainder…. support the imbalance with Lumirea's fourth constant…. I knew it. Damn, I'm good!"

"Did you find something?" Buffy asked.  
Fred jumped and slapped a hand to her chest. "Buffy!"  
"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's ok. You can't exactly help being stealthy what with being a Vampire Slayer and all."

"Yeah. So, you found something?"

"I think so." Fred turned back to her notes. "Just cancel out the radical…. Which causes a feedback wave that liquefies half of Los Angeles."

"That…. Doesn't sound like something we want."

"Oh! I'll never figure this out!"

"You will. I know you will." Buffy felt a sharp spark of pain on her shoulder and she yelped.

"Are you all right?"

"Uh…." Buffy turned around in a circle. "Spike?"

"You think he's here?"

"Something just touched me. It felt like…. a spark."

Fred moved towards Buffy, but she let out a yelp. Buffy turned, expecting to find Spike, but it was Angel. "Oh! Would everybody please stop doing that?" Fred griped.

"Sorry." Angel said. "I just wanted to let you know…."

"Angel, something was in the lab just now." Buffy said. "I think it was Spike."

"We did another sweep with the mystics. They didn't find anything."

"Screw the mystics. I know what I felt." She looked up at him and he knew that look.

"What are you thinking?"

"Do we have people that can do a séance?"

"We should callWesley." Fred said.

* * *

Wesley, Fred, and Gunn were sitting at the table in the darkened conference room across from Buffy, Connor, and Angel. All of them looked a little apprehensive about what was about to happen. Wesley had contacted some of his people and they had called in their best psychic. Eve was bringing the woman up now.

"Perhaps we should reconsider this." Wesley said.

"You think?" Gunn asked. "Seen enough horror flicks to know these things always turn out ugly." Eve escorted a pretty blonde woman in a red dress into the room. "I stand corrected." Buffy rolled her eyes at Gunn.

"All right." The psychic said. "Let's get to it. Eve tells me that you've lost a ghostie."

"Well, he's not actually a ghost technically." Fred said. "More of a…."

"Yeah, whatever." The psychic sat down at the head of the table. "Now, I have pilates at the crack of why-am-I-awake? So we're gonna move this right along. I will mutter a few calming words to get us into the zone, and then we'll see if we can scare up your missing spook. Ok. Clear your minds…. which, judging by the looks of you, won't be that hard."

"Should we hold hands?" Buffy asked.

"Only if you're lonely. Now, zip it and let me do my sweet funky." The psychic inhaled deeply and then loudly exhaled. "I call upon the guardian of souls, the keeper of the passage. Let our breath flow from what is to what has passed. Bless us with the presence of the lost. Grant us communion with the world beyond our reach. Give voice to those who can no longer be heard. I beseech you, open your gates…. reveal your secrets." The woman's eyes popped open. "I sense a presence. Very close…. So much pain…."

"He's in pain?" Fred asked.

"The dark soul…. so much suffering. It's coming… it's coming…. Oh, god. I can feel it. The dark soul…. it's here. It's…. it's the R…. It's the…." The woman grabbed her own throat, trying to pull at her necklace as she choked.

"Whoa!" Gunn cried, jumping up from the table.

"What's happening?" Fred asked.

"Spike, stop it!" Angel demanded.

"That's notSpike." Buffy said, going over to the psychic. "Whoever you are, let her go!" The woman sat up and gasped. She seemed to be regaining her composure despite the slight nosebleed. "Are you all right?" The woman's head suddenly exploded in blood all over Buffy.

* * *

Buffy sighed as she rinsed the blood off of her under the hot water of her and Angel's spacious shower. Being covered in blood wasn't new to her, but having a human woman's head explode on her was. Brain bits were apparently harder to get out of your hair that demon blood.

She finally felt like her hair was clean after the fifth wash and ran some conditioner through it. When she opened her eyes after rinsing that out, she noticed the word REAPER written in the mist on the glass door. When she went to get a closer look, the glass suddenly shattered. Buffy jumped back as the bits of glass fell to the ground.

Grabbing a towel and making her way carefully through the broken shards, she went into the bedroom's extremely large walk in closet and got dressed quickly. Angel, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, and Connor were downstairs in Wesley's office researching dark souls. Ignoring the water dripping down the back of her shirt, she rushed down to Wesley's office. "Reaper!" She blurted as she ran in. "Cross reference with the word 'reaper.'"

"Where'd you pull that?" Connor asked.

"It came to me in the shower."

"Here it is." Angel said, holding up his book. "Matthias Pavayne, dark soul number 182."

"Pavayne…." Wesley went over to his computer to do more research.

"Well, there's not much here." Angel lowered the book some so Buffy could look at it as well. "European aristocrat, 18th century. He was a doctor, nicknamed 'The Reaper' for performing unnecessary surgery on his patients."

"Well, what kind of surgery?" Fred asked.

"The kind you don't recover from." Wesley said. "There's a file on him in internal archives, classified histories."

"He worked for Wolfram & Hart?" Gunn asked.

"Color me shocked." Buffy muttered.

"Not exactly." Wesley said. "'Word spread of his unorthodox practices…. fled to California, still under Spanish rule at the time. His arrival coincided with a rash of brutal, ritualistic murders. Pieces of the victims placed in a manner suggesting an intimate knowledge of the dark arts."

"Pieces?" Fred asked.  
"'The slaughter continued for the better part of 20 years. The perpetrator was never caught.' At least…. not by the authorities."

"What, you're saying Wolfram & Hart took this guy out?" Angel asked.

"Why would they do that?" Connor asked.

"Sounds like their idea of employee of the month." Gunn added.

"Because they needed his blood." Wesley said. "'Representatives from Wolfram & Hart were looking to build a new branch in what would eventually become Los Angeles. Unfortunately, a Spanish mission was already resting on the site their seers recommended.' They needed an appropriate sacrifice to deconsecrate the grounds."

"So this place is built on the blood of a mass-murdering psychopath?" Buffy asked.

"It would appear so."

"Again, color me shocked."

"But if Pavayne's half as bad as he sounds, he should've been roasting his chestnuts in hell centuries ago." Gunn said.

"You said something about the dark arts, right?" Angel asked. "Maybe he knew enough to figure out a way to stick around."

"That might explain why the mystics can't get a bead on him, too." Fred added.

"What I still don't get are all the ghosts at Wolfram & Hart." Buffy said.

"But there aren't any." Wesley said.

"That's what I mean. High-risk employment. People die here all the time. This place should be full of spooks. So…. what happened to them?"

"Maybe this Pavayne character's munching on them." Gunn said.

"There's a comforting thought." Connor cringed.

"Whatever he's doing to them, we need to get Spike back before he's next." Fred said. She rushed out of the room suddenly.

Wesley, Connor, and Gunn went after her. Angel walked over to Buffy. "Came to you in the shower?"

"I think it was Spike." Buffy admitted. "He wrote it on the steamed up windows."

"Remind me to punch him in the face once he's corporeal again for being a peeping vampire."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "It's nothing he hasn't seen before."

"Yeah, well it's not his to see."

"Hello, possessive-boyfriend-guy."

"Sorry. I just…. I finally have you…. All of you…. and I'm not looking to share you with anyone. Least of all Spike."

"You're not sharing me with anyone, Angel. Especially not Spike. I'm yours. Mind, body, soul, and everything in between. I'm yours. Spike respects that."

"Not if he's sneaking up on you in the shower. Remind me to punch him in the face for being a peeping vampire."

"He needed to tell us about Pavayne. No punching Spike for that." She took his hand. "Come on. Let's go science Spike back into corporeal land." They headed down to Fred's lab where Connor, Wesley, and Gunn were staring with their mouths agape at Fred. She was writing formulas on the windows with a dry erase marker.

"That's never good." Angel quipped.

"What? Oh, no, I…." Fred looked around. "I just ran out of white board. I'm not crazy. Again."

"Just scary smart." Gunn said.

"You really think this will bring Spike back?" Connor asked.

"Well, I had to extrapolate a new variation on interdimensional plasma dynamics on the fly, but…." Fred glanced at her equations. "If the math holds…."

"All right." Angel said. "First we'll try to get Spike back, and then we'll deal with Pavayne."

"Wait. For this to work, it's going to require a massive surge of dark energy to catalyze the process."

"How massive?" Buffy asked.

"The equivalent of nuclear evil."

"Well, where the hell are we supposed to find that?" Angel asked.

"Well," Wesley offered. "There is a legend that tells of a volcano deep in the forbidden jungles of South Africa…."

"Or I might know a place a little closer to home." Gunn interrupted.

* * *

Buffy gripped Angel's hand tightly as the white light faded away to reveal they were standing with Gunn in an endless white room that vaguely resembled a warehouse. In the elevator, Gunn had punched in a series of buttons and a big white button had appeared at the top. When he hit that button, the elevator had flared white and dropped them in this place.

"The white room?" Angel asked.

"Why do you think they call it that?" Buffy asked sarcastically.

"How are we still in the building when we're standing in a place that technically doesn't exist?" Gunn asked.

"So, this is your brainstorm?" Angel asked. "You want to try and to snip off a piece of the conduit that connects Wolfram & Hart to the other dimensions."

"'Want' may be a hair strong."

"Last conduit took the form of that creepy little girl. No telling what the new one's decided to look like."

"Actually, it's not that bad…." The growl of an animal could be heard around them. "If you like cats."

"I'm kind of a dog person." Buffy said.

The animal snarled. "Ix-nay on the og-day."

"Um...look, we're not here to ruffle anything." Angel held up an empty container. "We were just wondering if we maybe could borrow a couple of whiskers or…."

The animal snarled again and Gunn took the container from Angel, walking a few steps away. "Whoa. Hey, easy. It's me. Charles Gunn. You know I wouldn't be here if the situation wasn't heavy. Just asking for a little help: Me to you, personal favor. What do you say?" There was a soft growl and then a black panther appeared walking towards Gunn. "Yeah. Who's a good kitty?"

"It's kinda pretty." Buffy said. She and Angel stiffened as the panther turned its eyes on them. It began to slowly circle them and Buffy moved slightly closer to Angel. The cat finally came around and sat down in front of Buffy. She looked at Angel and Gunn uncertainly before reaching out to pet the cat.

As soon as her fingers touched the velvet fur, the white room became dark. She turned away to find that Gunn and Angel were gone. Voices chanted around her, but she couldn't see anyone. A doorway appeared behind her and the frame was ablaze with unnatural fire. She blinked and discovered she was surrounded by robed figures. Behind her, a figure was being beaten by three robed men. She rushed to help him, but her hands went right through him.

Turning to call for help, she was startled as Angel suddenly appeared as he jumped through the flaming doorway. She breathed a sigh of relief that he was there, but he couldn't see her. She tried to call his name, but it sounded muffled. Angel walked over to he beaten man and hauled him to his feet, pulling the bag off his head.

"Thank you. Thank you." The man said.

Angel's face change and he bit into the man's neck. He drank the man's blood deeply before stepping back and twisting his head, breaking the man's neck. He dropped the body to the floor as one of the hooded figures moved forward. The figure had on a mask on, but the red hand it raised gave it away as a demon. The demon's hand glowed with a fiery symbol on its palm as it reached out to Angel's bared chest. It pressed its palm over Angel's heart, branding him.

"The circle entwined." The demon said behind his mask.

"Embrace this worthy son." The group intoned.

"The thorn draws blood."

"The thorn is the power, and the power is absolute."

The demon held its hand out to Angel. "Welcome to the fold."

Angel reached out and shook the demon's hand.

The room flared white again and then Buffy was standing between Gunn and Angel in the elevator. She felt light-headed and fell back against the wall. Angel turned and grabbed her, holding her up. He and Gunn were saying something, but it was muffled.

Then a bubble seemed to pop and she could hear.

"Buffy?" Angel asked. "Are you ok?"

"What happened?" Buffy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I…." She saw the container had dark liquid in it. "It gave you it's pee?"

Gunn looked at the container in confusion. "This isn't…."

"You were there." Angel said. "You were petting the panther and it allowed Gunn to take some of its blood." He gestured at the container.

Before Buffy could say anything, the elevator doors opened. They walked into Fred's lab where she, Connor, and Wesley were setting up the machine. "Make sure it's calibrated to minus .058." Fred ordered Wesley. She turned to Gunn. "Did you get it?"

Gunn handed over the container. "Make it count. Told me we ain't getting anymore."

"It talks? I didn't hear it talk." Angel said.

"Maybe you weren't listening right."

Fred put the flask into a metal tube in the machine. "All right, I think we're almost ready."

"How do we let Spike know?" Connor asked.

"Won't have to." Wesley said.

Fred reached over and turned on the machine. "This baby puts out enough juice to light up ghost city. Anything remotely spectral around here is about to get the tinglies." The machine whirred loudly and a few minutes later, Fred's scanner began to beep. "He's here. Spike, step into the circle! Hurry! We've only got one chance at making you corporeal agai…." She was suddenly cut off as she grasped at invisible hands clutching her throat.

"Fred!" Wesley cried.

"It's Pavayne!" Gunn yelled.

"He's killing her." Angel said as he, Buffy, and Connor charged forward. They were hit by an invisible barrier and thrown backwards. Suddenly, the machine activated and a figure appeared on the floor in the middle of the ring. Buffy and Angel got to their feet and walked up to the machine's ring while Gunn and Wesley went to help Fred. Connor moved up behind his father.

"No. No!" Pavayne yelled. "Defilers! I'll cut you into nothing! I'll feast on your brains. I'll swim in lakes of your own blood."

"You'll shut the hell up." Buffy said, punching Pavayne so hard he flew across the room.

Spike suddenly appeared next to her. "Don't kill him. If he becomes a spirit again, we'll never stop him."

"Fine. No killing." Buffy moved towardsPvayne. "Just a whole lot of bruising." She punched him again in the temple, knocking him out.

* * *

Buffy stared out the window of the penthouse later that night. Connor had gone out with Nina for a midnight stroll. Wesley, Gunn, and Fred had all gone to bed. Angel was down in permanent storage with Eve locking Pavayne in his cell there.

Buffy had wanted to clear her head and figure out what that vision had been. So, she had retreated to the penthouse and gave Angel a run for his money in brooding. She was certain that she hadn't been meant to see that vision. Nothing indicated to her why she should feel that, but her gut told her the conduit hadn't meant to show her that. Or if it had, then why? She looked down at the piece of paper in her hand that she had drawn Angel's brand on. It was a circle with spikes or thorns sticking out of it.

"Hey." Angel said behind her, startling her. Her hand automatically balled into a fist and crumpled the paper. "A little jumpy, huh?" He watched her smooth the paper back out. "What's that?"

"Have you ever seen this before?" Buffy handed him the slip of paper.

Angel examined it for a long moment. "No. Should I have?"

"I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me what it is."

"I've got no idea." She searched his face and knew that he wasn't lying. "Are you ok?"

"I don't know, honestly." Buffy walked over and sat down on the couch. "Earlier…. In the elevator…. I was coming out of a vision."

"A vision? I thought you only got those in your dreams."

"Usually, yeah, but when I touched that cat…."

Angel came over and sat down next to her. "What did you see?" Buffy stared at his face for a long moment. So long that he started to worry. "Buffy?"

"I saw…. You. You jumped through this doorway that was on fire and then you killed someone. You were surrounded by these figures in robes and one of them branded that symbol into your chest. It was…. An initiation, Angel. For you."

"I killed someone? Are you sure it was me? Maybe Willow's spell…."

"I know the difference between Angelus and you. I've always been able to see the soul behind your eyes. Trust me, it was you." Angel looked down at the symbol. "I don't know what this means yet, but we can't let it happen."

"Visions usually have a way of coming true."

"Not this one. We won't let. I mean…. Look, I wasn't there with you. Maybe…."

"What?"

"Maybe something happens to me and it…."

"Drives me over the edge." He nodded. "That's not entirely out of the realm of possibilities. We can finally be together and if I lost you now, I…. Well, it wouldn't be pretty."

"So, we'll stop this. We will figure this out."

"You sound so sure."

"I got this vision for a reason, whatever it may be. And we're together now. Nothing will keep us apart again."

He reached out and gently cupped her face. "I love you, Buffy."

"I love you, Angel." They closed the distance between them, neither of them admitting how scared they were of this vision coming to pass.


	15. Life of the Party

Buffy was sitting at her and Angel's desk working on some paperwork when Lorne let himself in with his assistant Van behind him. She smiled up at him. "Hey Lorne."

"Sweet pea, you're looking as delicious as ever." Lorne came over and kissed her knuckles. "Loving that new Betsy Johnson top."

"Thank you."

"Did you even go to bed?"

"No. Too much energy to burn since that spell in the Hellmouth. I haven't needed to sleep much since then. Neither has Faith. Guess when it activated the Slayers, it enhanced the already active Slayers' powers."

"What do you do all night?"

"Well, tonight I worked out in the training room for a couple of hours, showered, and caught up on paperwork. I think this is the first night I've been here without Angel."

"Where is your honey at, anyway? You two are usually attached at the hip."

"Uh, he and Connor went out for some father/son bonding time to hunt a Thraxis demon that's been eating tourists out by the Hollywood sign. Hi, Van." The little assistant blushed profusely. Apparently, he had a bit of a crush.

"When's he coming back? We three need to have a little confab about…." Just then Angel and Connor walked in covered in goopy blood. "Oh."

"I take it your evening was successful." Buffy said to them. Angel walked over to kiss her, but she waved him away with a laugh.

"Fred's little bomb thing didn't work." Connor grumbled, heading for the elevator.

"Well, I'm glad you're here now." Lorne said to Angel. "I need to speak with you and Buffy. Uh, it's about the party. I've done all I can do for the big to-do, but we've still got a few bugs to comb out of the cootie garage…." Angel just frowned at Lorne as he joined Connor by the elevator. "A bridge too far? Uh, let me try it again…."

"Look, Lorne, I've been out all night, ok? I'm beat up, I'm exhausted, I'm covered head to toe in Thraxis blood, which actually kind of burns, so this is all gonna have to wait until I take a shower."

"You killed the Thraxis?"

"Shower." The elevator doors closed on Angel and Connor.

"Hey, Van, look, why don't we, uh, scratch the Thraxis off the invite list, and, uh… Oh, hey, you got a copy of that print ad we're gonna run this week?"

"Yes. Right." Van took out a piece of paper from his files.

Lorne gestured at Buffy and Van handed the paper to her. "What is this?" She asked, looking at the paper. "'Wolfram & Hart wants to be up your alley'?" Buffy laughed and handed it back to Van. "That sounds like a bus station pick-up line."

"Oh, you're right." Lorne said. He looked at Van. "Change it. Second thought, burn it. Grab yourself a bagel or something, too. You look a little waxy."

Buffy stood up and walked around the desk. "Van, tell Harmony to squeeze Lorne in this morning at 7:30. We can sit down then and talk about the Halloween party."

"Thank you, Buffy. You're a doll." Lorne kissed her cheek. "See you at 7:30."

Buffy smiled and got into the elevator. Angel was just getting into the shower when she walked in and she took a moment to enjoy his entire backside. "You know, I like this bathroom remodel. Great views."

Angel chuckled. "How are you not exhausted?"

She shrugged. "I don't need as much sleep as I used to. Not that that was a lot, anyway. I actually talked to Faith earlier this morning. She's feeling it to."

"Really?"

"Yup. That spell enhanced our Slayer-ness, I guess."

"Think I could borrow some of that energy?"

"Of course. I have a great idea of how to transfer some of it."

"Oh yeah? Show me." Buffy grinned and began stripping off her clothes. Angel grinned back and let her pin him against the shower wall. "I'll never get tired of this."

"No more talking."

"Yes, ma'am." He brought her lips to him as the hot water cascaded over them.

* * *

Angel turned the shower off and laughed. "It's a good thing I don't need to breathe. I probably would've drowned about an hour ago."

Buffy grinned wickedly. "It's not my fault you're so good with your tongue."

He pulled her to him and listened to her heartrate pick back up. "It's not my fault you taste so good." Her head fell back as he began to nip at her neck. He turned them so he could walk her towards the bed, but groaned when he spotted Eve sitting on the edge of it.

"Hi." Eve said pleasantly. "Uh, the door was open. Well, unlocked. Well…. I had a key."

Buffy grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself as Angel did the same. She marched over to Eve and held her hand out. Eve smiled and handed the key over. "What do you want, Eve?" The blonde growled.

"You two are really enjoying that unlimited hot water feature, huh?"

"Hey, pry your skanky eyeballs away from my boyfriend's body and answer my question because I'm not asking again."

"You had a 7:30 scheduled with Lorne."

Buffy sighed. "Oh. Right." She looked at Angel. "Forgot to tell you that."

Angel grinned at her. "You got a little distracted. I'll get my pants."

The Slayer turned back to Eve. "Get out."

"You're very possessive, you know." Eve said, not moving.

"Yes. I know. Get out."

"It wouldn't kill you to share."

"Maybe not, but it would definitely kill you." Eve chuckled and stood up, sauntering out of the room. "Can we _please_ find a way to get rid of her?"

"Wesley says there's no way." Angel said. "I had him look into it."

"Is there a trade we can make? Maybe someone asexual?"

Angel chuckled. "Hello, possessive-girlfriend-lady."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "This is different. Spike's not giving you a reason to be jealous. Eve is blatantly hitting on you in front of me."

Connor walked by the open doorway saying, "You should marry Buffy, dad. The title of wife carries more weight than girlfriend. Plus, she'd be an awesome step-mom."

Buffy and Angel stared in shock at the now empty doorway.

* * *

The elevator door opened and Buffy and Angel stepped onto it in silence. Connor's comments earlier had given them both pause. They'd gotten dressed in relative silence. Neither of them had even thought about the possibility of marriage, but apparently Connor had given it some thought. His thought had given his father and Buffy lots of thoughts on the subject suddenly.  
When the elevator door opened, a huge papier-mâché skull blocked their exit. Angel instinctively lashed out and punched it. The man holding the giant skull flew backwards and fell to the floor, groaning. The entire lobby was filled with people holding similar decorations working tirelessly to get the lobby decorated.

"Why does it look like we're having a party in here?" Angel asked.

"Well, maybe cause we're having a party in here." Lorne said, walking down the stairs with Eve. "The Wolfram & Hart Halloween Bash? Ring a bell? The biggest event on the company calendar? I sent you a small forest's worth of memos on it."

"We're having it here?"

"You see what I'm up against?" Lorne muttered to Eve.

"That's what our 7:30 was about." Buffy explained. "Our party."

" _Our_ party?"

"Yeah, listen." Lorne said. "Here's the snafu in a nutshell, top cats. Uh, nobody's coming. Well, some people are coming, but the right people, the A-list people, they seem to be giving it a miss, and if they don't show up, this shindig is gonna be a bust."

"Good." Angel said.

"Good?!"

"I wasn't too crazy about this thing to begin with. I mean, we are talking about our clients, right? Our evil clients." Lorne began rubbing his head and Buffy looked at him worriedly. "Not the sort of folks I really like to show a good time. I'd be a lot happier if the whole thing just kind of fell through. Then we could get back to…."

Lorne interrupted Angel with a loud, forced laugh "Ok! Ok! You're killing me. Can't you just feel up the big picture, Mr. Magoo? It's not about good and evil. It's about party. Party! Capital P! Rhymes with 'me'? I'm about to have a stroke here cause you're killin' me! Listen. I can see that you're in a state…. A mood…. a snit even, so what say we talk about this once you've calmed down a bit?"

"Yeah, sure. That's fine…."

"Great. Your office. 25 minutes." Lorne threw over his shoulder as he walked away.

Angel turned to Buffy, but she was gone. Buffy was making her way to Gunn's office. He was sitting at his desk reading through a deposition when she walked in. "Hey boss lady." He said. "What's up?"

"Just checking in for the morning." Buffy said.

"Since when do you do that?"

"Since I'm trying to avoid thinking about what Connor said this morning."

"Which was?"

Buffy sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "He said Angel and I should get married and that I would make an awesome step-mom."

Gunn burst out laughing and Buffy shot him a withering glare. "Sorry."

"Angel and I can't get married."

"Why not?"

"Well, for starters, he's been dead for over two centuries."

"That's not an issue. There's lots of ways around that. One of my clients got legally married the other day to a nineteen-year-old and she's been dead since 1862."

"Vampire?"

"Wight."

"Oh."

Gunn set down the papers and leaned forward, resting his weight on his arms. "Do you want to marry Angel?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. I honestly never gave it much thought. I'm a Slayer. We don't generally have long lifespans, therefore weddings aren't really in the mix for us."

"I'm pretty sure you're not like most Slayers."

"Well…. Not really. You know, up until recently, I couldn't even give Angel much thought when it came to romance. We were broken up because of the curse and the threat of Angelus hanging over us. And now…."

"Now that's gone and you two are back at it."

"But am I even ready for marriage? That's a huge step."

He stood up and walked around to sit in the chair beside hers. "Look, if you're not ready for that, then you're not ready. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm sure Angel would understand."

She sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe Connor said that."

"It's not unusual that Connor would be thinking about it. I mean, you're the closest thing he's had to a mom and he knows that you and his dad are in love." Gunn laughed. "You know 'in love' doesn't even come close to what you two are." There was a knock on the door and Lorne walked in. "Hey, Lorne."

"Hey, hey. Uh…. sorry to interrupt." Lorne said. "Not to be a pest, but I just wanted to go over a little stratego, amigo."

Gunn exchanged looks with Buffy. "Uh, sorry?"

"Um, you're my big gun, Gunn. Ace-in-hole, ball-in-pocket. You're the key on my kite string."

"What is he talking about?" Gunn asked Buffy.

"We gotta turn Angel around on this whole party idea!" Lorne cried.

"We do?"

"He's not exactly thrilled about it." Buffy said.

"And you?"

Buffy shrugged.

"Look, I know Angelcake is one half of the boss duo and everything," Lorne said. "But you're up and coming here, Gunn, and it's time for you to spread your wings, legal eagle. From now on, I want you to stake out your territory, and I want you to keep it staked."

"Stake territory. Sure. Look, um, Lorne, we're a little busy right now. I have a deposition to get ready for, but I will definitely get to that."

"Great. Just what I wanted to hear. Buffy and Angel's office, ten minutes. See you there, Buffylove!" Lorne walked out.

Buffy started to stand. "I'll let you get back to your deposition."

"No. It's cool. We've only got ten minutes." Gunn said. "Stay. Talk. I don't get to do that often enough. Especially not with our newest member of the AI team."

* * *

Wesley, Fred, Eve, Connor, Gunn, Buffy, and Angel were all sitting around Angel's office waiting for Lorne. Even Spike had shown up for the meeting. "In my day, no self-respecting creature of the night went out on All Hallow's Eve." He was saying. "We left that to the posers, the blighters who had to dress up and try to be scary." Angel pressed a button that caused the windows to fog. "Magic windows. Will the perks never end?"

"You know, I remember a certain creature of the night and his fake demon buddies trying to kill me on Halloween once." Buffy said.

Spike laughed. "Oh yeah! You were dressed up trying to impress that one!" He pointed at Angel. "I almost had you that time. I was _this_ close."

"Yeah, some big bad vampire you were." Angel quipped. "She wasn't even herself when you 'almost had her.'"

Buffy grinned at Spike. "I also remember I kicked your ass yet again that night."

"There's a long string of those nights in your history, Spike."

"Shut up." Spike groaned.

Lorne walked into the office talking rapid fire Italian on his cell phone. He finally hung up and looked around. "What did I miss?"

"Us. Waiting." Angel said.

"And dad and Buffy making fun of Spike never being able to kill her." Connor added as Spike rolled his eyes and walked out.

"Oh, right." Lorne nodded. "Sorry I missed that. So, uh, Angel, we just wanted to take a moment and emphasize how important this party really is to us."

"I gotta say Lorne is right." Gunn said. "We gotta show all the big bads that the new regime is here to stay, which, for the most part, boils down to image. And image-wise, if this party doesn't kick ass, we lose face."

"And believe me, milk dud, speaking as the head of your P.R. Department, we need all the face we can get. While your beautiful other half is a gorgeous face to show the world, you two are in this together. People want to see you both."

"Milk dud?" Angel asked.

"Said with affection."

"Ok, listen, I understand the whole 'keeping up appearances' concept, but everyone coming to this thing is unrepentant, dyed-in-the-wool evil."

"Angel, a good host just doesn't make these sorts of judgments."

"We don't know how many of them are holding grudges against us or against each other. It's a perfect recipe for an out-of-control bloodbath."

"That's describing every good party I've ever been to. Listen, Angel, don't worry about a thing. This is my forte. And I ran Caritas for years, a nightclub with an open-door policy. The good, the bad, the hideously ugly, they all bellied up to my demon bar, but they all played nicely together while they were there."

"And this is exactly the kind of ethical tightrope you've gotta walk now, Angel." Eve said. "Which brings up another point: your employees."

"Also evil." Angel said.

Harmony walked in with two mugs and set them down on the desk. "Here's your blood and coffee, bossies." Angel glared at her. "Uh…. Bosses."

"Some of them, yes, but all of them work hard for this firm, and Halloween, well, around here it's like Christmas." Eve said.

Buffy leaned over to Angel. "I can't wait to tell Giles that this is where the bad guys disappear to on Halloween."

"Simply put, this is a morale thing."

"Good luck." Harmony scoffed. "The morale around here stinks."

"What?" Angel asked.

"Uh-huh. You guys are supposed to be co-CEOs, but Buffy is kicking your ass. She knows your guys' schedule better than you, she makes it to all the meetings and actually listens when she's there…. Everybody loves her and thinks you suck." Angel glared at Harmony. "Well, come on, boss. They're all out there, sweating through their matsudas, worried if you're gonna axe them or, you know, axe them."

"Ok, look, hey, I haven't…." Angel started, but noticed Buffy's look. "Ok, look, I may have killed a couple of them."

"And several clients and maybe some potential clients?" Lorne said. "Why do you think my RSVP list is only a fifth of the size of last year's?"

"It's you, babe." Eve said to Angel.

Buffy glared at Eve. "Please remember what I said earlier about comments like that being deadly to your health."

"Come on, what? Do they think I'm throwing this thing so I can slaughter them?" Everyone in the room looked straight at Angel. "Fine. I surrender. Go ahead, Lorne. Put on your best dog and pony. I won't get in the way."

"I don't want you to sit back and just let it happen, Angel." Lorne said. "I need you and your Sexy Goldilocks to get out there and make it happen."  
"What does that mean?" Angel asked.

"You, Buffy, and I have a date tonight. I'll see you two at eight. Ciao!" Lorne turned and walked out of the office. Everyone else filed out after him, leaving Connor with Buffy and Angel.

"I've got a lunch date with Nina." Connor announced. "I'll see you guys later." He headed out to the elevator banks.

"Why does everyone love you and hate me?" Angel asked. Buffy shrugged. "And I do listen at meetings."

"No you don't. You zone out." Buffy said, standing up with her coffee and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To our meeting with a coferak demon. It's on the calendar."

"Why are we meeting with it?" Angel asked, grabbing his mug of blood and following her.

"Negotiations with a family of phyarl demons for the right to mate with the two oldest girls."

"Are they ok with that?"

"I don't know. We can ask them." Buffy sipped her coffee as she headed into the conference room.

* * *

Buffy, Angel, and Lorne were riding in one of Wolfram and Hart's limo that night. Buffy and Angel sat in the very back, both looking out of opposite windows. Lorne was at the little wet bar fixing himself a drink.

"Archduke Sebassis," He was saying. "Bona fide nobility from the fiery down under. Commands over 40 legions. He's the living end of a pure bloodline of demonic royalty."

"Great. Just great." Angel said.

"Well, also, the very peak of the A-list mountain. He's the crown jewel of the underworld jet set. If we convince him to come, all the other glitterati will just domino in right behind him, and then? Then we'll be in business."

"This really matters to you, doesn't it?"

"Well, of course. The new Wolfram & Hart? I mean, we have to…."

"No. I mean, this really matters to you. Personally."

"Yeah. You know, Angel, I…. I don't have superhuman strength, and I'm not a fighter. Quantum physics makes me nauseous, and I barely made a passing grade at mystical studies, but I'm on your team. This is something I can do. I believe it has a purpose that can help you, even if you don't."

"Well, I'm here, aren't I? I agreed to this."

"No, you…. you did. You did. And I promise you won't regret it. But, hey, let's leave it that you let me do most of the talking, huh? You two just kind of smile and try not to rip anybody apart. Ok?"

"Works for me." Buffy said. "I'm comfortable being the face tonight."

"And speaking of that gorgeous face, I've taken the liberty of booking a day of beauty for you before the party."

"Really?"

"Yes. Massage, light facial, seaweed wrap, mani/pedi, hair, and makeup. The works! You'll be a glowing warrior princess. And the cherry on top? A private visit with Tom Ford to find that perfect dress for the event."

"Wow. Is that something I should be doing for every Wolfram and Hart party? Because I could get used to that."  
"Only if you want to, but I thought you might enjoy it since you've been working so hard and this is your first big event." The limo pulled to a stop. "Ok, showtime."

They were escorted into a building that looked like the front of a medieval castle built into the side of a hill. The demon that led them inside was a pale gray-ish pink color with thin, pointy horns. It led them into a dark throne room where another demon sat on the throne. This one was older looking and definitely presented himself as royalty.

"So…." Sebassis said. "This is the mighty Angel. I've been told many things about you. Bit of a restless frog, hmm? Making lots of waves in your little swamp."

"Yeah, well, I'm just trying to keep the fly population down." Angel said.

"Yes. Though I do prefer the tales of your counterpart Angelus. Ah, you had flair back then, child."  
"Well, I guess we all mellow in our old age."

"Your contempt is fragrant." He turned his eyes on Buffy. "And the Slayer. I've heard many tales of you, as well."

"Apparently I'm popular. I've never heard of you, though." Buffy said, keeping a fake smile plastered to her face.

Sebassis sipped a blue liquid from a wine glass and finished the drink. Lorne was holding a similar drink he'd been offered as they had been seated. Sebassis put his glass down and a smaller, thinner, paler demon walked out to him. It pulled a cork out of its arm and held his arm out over Sebassis's glass. The blue liquid flowed from the slave's uncorked vein into the glass. Buffy's eyebrows went up to her hairline and she glanced at Lorne's glass, happy that she had declined the drink.

"So, your lordship, we were deeply grieved when you declined our invitation." Lorne said. "I mean, we'd love for you to reconsider." He slapped Angel's arm.

"Yeah." Angel plastered the same fake smile as Buffy onto his face. "Yeah. I mean, a party just isn't a party without the archduke."

"You're sure you wouldn't like some?" Sebassis gestured at the slave's wrist. He was ignoring Angel and looking at Buffy.  
"I'm fine, thank you." Buffy said coolly.

"You clearly have a blood bond with the vampire and yet you don't partake yourself?"

"'Clearly have a blood bond'? What does that mean?"

"He means the scar on your neck." Angel said. "I don't drink from her."

"Ah, that's right." Sebassis taunted. "You choose to drink the blood of swine. Filthy beasts."

"Actually, that's a misconception…."

"Filthy! Yes! Honestly, I don't know how he does it." Lorne said. He took a swig of the blue blood, much to Buffy and Angel's disgust. "Mmm. Wow, this is…." He looked at the slave. "You, uh…. you really…. you taste great."

"Well…. in light of this amusing chat, and of my longstanding acquaintance with you, Lorne, I will come to the gala." Sebassis announced.

"Oh, that's wonderful news, your lordship! Well, we don't wanna waste any more of your valuable time." Lorne stood, gesturing for Buffy and Angel to do the same. "We'll…. we'll show ourselves out."

* * *

The party had started out in the lobby of Wolfram and Hart. There was disco music playing and a disco ball shimmered in the lights over the dance floor. Harmony was the only person dancing, though. Angel fogged over his windows and turned back to the TV. Buffy was running late and hadn't come down from the penthouse yet. Connor was staying upstairs for the night, avoiding the party like his father wanted to.

The elevator doors opened and Angel looked up to see Buffy step off, smoothing down her strapless, satin dress. It was dark purple and clung to every inch of her from her chest to just above her knees. The back laced up like a corset and Angel took a second to appreciate his girlfriend's décolletage as she knelt down to fix one of her strappy heels. Her hair was curled and one side was pinned back with a large, jeweled comb. Her makeup was flawless with dark, smoky eyes and a glossy nude lip.

Angel let out a low whistle and stood up. "Hello, miss, I haven't seen you around here before."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Ha ha."

He walked around behind her and pulled her to him, nipping at her exposed neck. It didn't escape him that the side of her neck that was exposed was the one with her scar. "Look, my girlfriend is going to be here soon and she's the jealous type." He whispered in her ear. "If you're going to have your way with me, we should probably make it quick."

She chuckled. "I don't look that good."

"I'm going to have to disagree with that." His hands snaked around to cup one breast and pull her hips back into him.

Buffy made a sound in the back of her throat when she felt him pressed against her. "Aren't we supposed to be hosting a party?"

"Not that I know of." He breathed. His cool breath sent shivers throughout Buffy. Before she could respond, the door to their office opened and Lorne strode in. "Coulda sworn I locked that." Angel said, letting go of her.

"Guys, it's a graveyard out there, and all the guests wanna meet the new duo in charge." Lorne announced.

"Look, Lorne, I... We... Have things. We're busy." Buffy laughed slightly as he shifted his belt to try and hide the product of Buffy's dress.

"Is there an inch of this office you two haven't had sex on? I doubt you need to cover that inch tonight. You two need to get out there! I can't steer this ship of fools by my lonesome! I just can't do it! I…." Lorne groaned and rubbed his temples in pain.

Buffy reached out to the green empath demon. "Lorne?"

Lorne looked up, all smiles again. "Let's boogie, sweet tart. You look stunning!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door. Angel followed reluctantly behind, still fidgeting with his belt. "Well, so over there we have the Britzai representatives. We can get to them later. Oh, and there's the elder of the Fell Brotherhood. Come on, let's go say hi!"

Buffy and Angel rolled their eyes as they followed Lorne. They were introduced to so many demons that they lost count. It was a small miracle when Lorne got distracted enough to lose tabs on the couple. They took the opportunity to make a break for it.

"What are you even doing here, then?" Harmony asked Spike as she stormed past Buffy and Angel back to the dance floor.  
"What am I doing here?" Spike asked, turning to leave and finding Buffy and Angel there.

"Yeah, Spike." Angel said. "I thought you hated these kind of things."

"I would've thought the same of you." Spike's eyes landed on Buffy. "Wow."

Angel scowled. "Hey. Keep your eyes to yourself."

"She shouldn't flaunt it if she doesn't want anyone looking. And trust me, love, everyone is looking."

Buffy blushed and shrunk in on herself some. "I didn't mean to flaunt. The dress was so pretty and the shoes…."

"Don't worry about it, pet. You look incredible."

"Who else is looking?" Angel asked. "I need to gouge some eyes out."

"And here I thought you were doing great." Lorne said, walking up to them. "You two have already not killed, like, 100 guests."

"They don't have to." Spike said. "Party's already dead."

"Oh, really, Spike, would it kill you to be a little more positive?"

A booming male voice by the elevators announced that the Archduke Sebassis had arrived to the party. Sebassis walked in and people gathered around him like flies to picnic food. They began kneeling and kissing his hands and feet.

"Mmm. Ok, lovers." Lorne said to Buffy and Angel. "You two are on, and please, for me, can you try to be nice to him? Just this one time, huh?"

"Yes. Fine. Sycophants, worms." Sebassis said. "Don't writhe all at once. It's sickening."

"Archduke Sepsis!" Buffy said, suddenly cheery despite not wanting to be.

"Sebassis." Lorne corrected.

Sebassis held out his hand to be kissed, but Angel grabbed it and shook it emphatically. His grin was wider than any he'd ever put on. "Thanks so much for coming."

"Yes, well…." Sebassis started.

"Really, really thrilled that you're here."

"Artode, welcome." Lorne said to Sebassis' bodyguard. "Welcome. Love the jacket, by the way."  
"It's Pylean." Artode said.

"Oh, made in Pylea. Ha. My home dimension."

"Not made in, made from. I skinned it myself. Anybody you know?"

"Well, great. Thanks for dropping by." Lorne walked back over to Angel and Buffy.

"And you look just…. Well, I don't have to tell you how awesome you look." Buffy was saying. "You know how awesome you look."

"He definitely knows how awesome he looks!' Angel agreed.

"Ok, love birds, hey." Lorne said, steering the two warriors away. "We don't wanna be greedy with his eminence. Thank you, your lordship."

"Absolutely. Really. Thrilled to have you here."

"Okie-dokie! Ok, that'll do it. Thank you. Come on."

Once away from Sebassis, Buffy and Angel were free from the unnerving excitement they'd exhibited. Lorne moved off to go mingle with everyone else. "Punch?" Angel asked, gesturing at the multiple bowls of punch on the refreshment table.

"Uh…. Sure." Buffy said. "As long as it's not spiked or…." She glanced at Sebassis' slave. "Demon blood."

"Well, there seems to be options at least. I'm sure one of them will be safe." They walked over to the refreshments and Angel got her a glass of champagne as she perused the food. "So, uh…. Listen, I feel like what Connor said about us kind of threw both of us out of whack."

"Oh…. Yeah…. A little." She looked up at him. "I mean…. It's not that I don't want to. I mean, I've only dreamed about it a bazillion times. I just…. We haven't been back together long and we're still figuring out who we are as a couple."

"Right." Angel sipped at his own glass of champagne. "You know…. I mean…."

"Yeah?"

"We couldn't actually get married anyway."

"Gunn says it's possible."

"Really? How?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask."

"Wait…. You talked to Gunn about us getting married?"

"You two are getting married? Mazel tov!" Lorne said, appearing in front of them. "It's about time! Why don't you two love birds just get hitched already?" He patted them on the backs and moved back into the crowd.

Buffy and Angel looked at each other. "There's got to be at least one justice of the peace here, right?" Angel asked.

"I need a dress!" Buffy said.  
"The dress you have on is perfect."

"Ok."

Angel grabbed her hand and they went off in search of a justice of the peace.

* * *

Wesley, Fred, Gunn, and Spike drug Lorne into Buffy and Angel's office. Angel had Buffy pressed against the windows, making out with her fiercely as she clutched the signed the marriage license. Angel had collected one of the many lawyers buzzing around the party since he couldn't find Gunn and gotten him to wrangle up the necessary documents. With a little threatening, the lawyer had gotten everything done in no time at all and a justice of the peace had just finished marrying them.

"Come on, guys. I'm telling you I did not do anything." Lorne insisted.

"What's going on?" Angel asked, backing away from Buffy.  
"Hey! Angel's getting some!" Spike cried. "Good on you, mate."

"What's wrong with you?" Buffy asked, smoothing down her dress and hair.

"Are you holding a marriage license?" Gunn asked.

"Oh. Yeah! Angel and I got married."

"I'm sorry…. What?"

"How?" Wesley asked.

"Lots of legal stuff that we didn't understand." Angel said. "I just threatened people until it got done."

"Congratulations!" Spike cried.

"I thought you weren't ready." Gunn said.

"Yeah. I did. Weird."

"They must be under the effect of Lorne?" Wesley suggested. "Presum…. presumally…."

Fred snorted. "Prezoomally."

"Lorne's doing it…. something to all of us."

"I am not!" Lorne insisted.

"Everything he's told us to do, we're doing. Spike's thinking positive, Gunn is peeing all over the office…."

"And we're a little bit drunk." Fred added.

"Yes. But not because we drank, because Lorne told us to be drunk."

Buffy looked over at Gunn. "Lorne told you to pee all over the office?"

"Lord, I hope so." Gunn said.

"Oh! Lorne told us to get hitched!" Angel said. "And…." He looked at the license. "Now we are."

"This is crazy." Lorne cried. "I am not doing this. I would know if I was doing this. I don't even know what this is."  
"You know, I really love your guys' desk." Spike said.

"I'm super confused." Buffy said. "I thought Lorne was just an empath demon."

"Territory!" Gunn exclaimed suddenly. "Wait. This morning, Lorne told me to stake out my territory."

"Right." Wesley said. "Territorial marking, taken a little too literally."

"Hey, I did not tell Gunn to go water the ferns." Lorne said. "I did not do anything."

"You had your sleep removed." Gunn said.

"What?" Wesley asked.

"Yeah. He hasn't slept in a month."

"Oh, dear. An empath demon deprived of sleep for that long?"

"What does that have to do with it?" Lorne asked.

"Something, apparently." Fred said.

"Lorne, why would you let them do that to you?" Angel asked.

"I had to do something, didn't I?" Lorne snapped. "I mean, you don't know what I've had to deal with. I'm the center of gravity in a town that's full of borderline disorder celebrities and powerbrokers. All the hand-holding and the ego-stroking and the 4 A.M. Jacuzzi strategy sessions? I just couldn't keep up with it, even without sleeping."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Buffy asked. "Why didn't you tell any of us? We would have…."

"What? Fired me?"

"Helped you." Buffy shook her head. "Why would you even think we would fire you? Talk about crazy talk. Ok, Wes and Fred, sober up and go find Lorne's sleep. Figure out a way to put it back in his head."

"Yes, sir." Wesley said, saluting.

"She's a ma'am." Fred said with a giggle.

"Oh. Yes, ma'am." Wesley picked Fred up by the waist as he walked out the door with her.

"Lorne, just…. Hang tight. Ok? Try not to, you know, talk."

"We've still got a party going on." Lorne protested. "Someone has to make sure there's ice in the drinks."

"Ooh, ooh!" Spike raised his hand and bounced up and down. "Me! Me! I'm your people person."

Angel ignored him. "Gunn, go on the floor, see if anyone else is under the Lorne effect."

"Check." Gunn said.

"And stop with the…."

"Do my best." Gunn walked out of the office.

"Brilliant plan. Excellent." Spike enthused.

Lorne looked at Buffy and Angel. "You two really got married?"

Buffy held up the marriage license. "Yeah. And it's legally binding."

"Should I tell you congratulations or will there be an annulment in the near future?"  
Before either Buffy or Angel could answer, Sebassis and his band of demons burst through the office door. They were all holding weapons. Spike suddenly began applauding. "What a fantastic entrance!"

"Sebassis?" Angel asked.

"The nerve!" Sebassis cried. "The raw nerve to lay a hand on one of mine!"  
"What is this? Lower your weapons."

"These darts are poisoned, vampire. Powerful enough to put you in a coma for a week. Enough to kill your Slayer whore before their next heartbeat. You murdered Artode. I imagine we were to be next."

"I didn't murder anyone."

"He really didn't." Buffy defended. "We were a little…. Busy."

"Make yourselves presentable. You have a public execution to attend."

"That's a big mistake." Angel growled, preparing to attack

"Look here, Sea Biscuit, you may be royalty in the demon world, but you're in my world now. And in my world…. Demons that point weapons at me get put down." Buffy said. "So, I would suggest you drop your weapons and explain calmly what the hell it is you think you're doing coming in here and threating us."

Before anyone could reply, a woman's scream sounded in the lobby. Buffy and Angel exchanged looks and headed out of the office. Much to Buffy's annoyance, the archduke's demons followed with their weapons still pointed at them. As they arrived in the lobby, the crowd cleared off the dance floor. A dead or unconscious demon was lying sprawled on the buffet table.

"Oh, boy." Lorne said.

"Yeah. Somebody really dipped his chip." Harmony said.

"Really, Harmony?" Buffy asked, eyebrow arched. Harmony just shrugged.

Sebassis turned and pointed his poisoned arrow at Lorne, then at Angel. "Ok, Sebassis, I don't know what's going on here, but we are not behind it." Angel said.

"Enough lies, vampire." Sebassis demanded.

"Ok, everybody, ok." Lorne called. "Yes, the party's taking an unfortunate turn momentarily. So let's not…." Sebassis cocked the weapon. "Fight." Buffy started to pounce, but Lorne yelled, "Wait! Please, wait. I'm doing this. It's me. I mean, it's not me. But I haven't been myself lately. Somehow, I'm making people do things and I'm controlling them."

Sebassis pointed the weapon at Lorne. "Well, then, Pylean, you're making me kill you. Is that consistent with your theory?"

Suddenly, a roar came from the staircase overlooking the lobby. A giant green creature dressed in a blue suit and a purple shirt just like Lorne's jumped down from the balcony. The thing landed in front of Sebassis.

"Oh, my god!" Harmony yelled.

"It's me." Lorne said.

"That's one bitchin' big suit." Spike said with a grin.

Hulk-Lorne lashed out at one of Sebassis's demons and knocked him down. Sebassis fired a poisoned dart at the massive creature, but it had no effect. "Lorne, what the hell is this?" Angel asked.

"Stop it! Stop killing!" Lorne yelled at Hulk-Lorne. "Listen to me, Me!" Hulking Lorne turned and knocked Lorne down. "Wow, I must really hate myself."

Hulk-Lorne made its way toward Sebassis. Angel backed up and put himself between the demons. "Sebassis, run." Angel growled. Sebassis scurried off behind a pole. Hulk-Lorne hit Angel, sending him across the room. Buffy moved up to kick Hulk-Lorne, but her dress prevented her from it. Hulk-Lorne just sent her sliding across the dance floor. Gunn tried to hit Hulk-Lorne over the head with a statue, but it did nothing. Gunn was sent sprawling across the room, landing next to Lorne.

"Oh, sorry about that." Lorne said.

Sebassis tried to crawl away up the stairs, but Hulk-Lorne went after him. Angel picked himself up and attacked. None of his punches had any kind of effect. The lobby elevator doors opened just then and Wesley and Fred's backs were to the room. They turned around and walked into the lobby with Fred carrying a gun-shaped device.  
"It's here! It's manifested!" Wesley cried.

Hulk-Lorne was wailing on Angel while Buffy beat at its back with a chair. Fred and Wesley ran up behind Lorne who was watching the fight with horror. Fred pointed the gun up in front of her, but seemed to have trouble aiming.

"Shoot it, Fred. Now!" Buffy cried.

Fred turned and pointed the gun at Lorne's head. She pulled the trigger and Lorne collapsed to the ground. "Oh, my god!" Harmony screamed. "They shot Lorney-tunes."

"No. I'm ok." Lorne said. "Just gonna rest my eyes a little bit." As soon as Lorne's eyes closed, Hulk-Lorne disappeared in a puff of blue smoke and Buffy accidentally whacked Angel with the chair she had had aimed at Hulk-Lorne.

"Oh my god!" Buffy cried, rushing over to Angel. "Sorry!"

* * *

Buffy tucked Lorne in under a blanket on the couch in her and Angel's office. Spike was sitting on Angel's desk next to Eve, who was talking on her cell phone. Wesley and Angel stood by the windows.

"That thing…." Wesley was saying. "I think it was a manifestation of Lorne's subconscious. It peeled away from his mind, using Lorne's supernatural powers to punch its way into our world."  
"Punch is the right word." Angel said, rubbing his jaw. "Though I think that hit with the chair hurt worse."

"I said I was sorry." Buffy defended. "Why was it trying to kill everyone?"

"I don't think it was." Wesley said. "It may have just been processing the conflicts that Lorne normally deals with in his sleep, acting out on the emotional responses he has to the people around him." He gave them a little wave and walked out of the office.

Gunn walked in, passing Wesley. "Hey, I spoke with Sebassis' people. Explained what I could."

"So what do we got?" Angel asked. "Lawsuit? Demon war?"

"No. It seems like they enjoy a little blood sport at their social functions. Looks like we're ok."  
"We're not ok. We've been so focused on the dangers outside that we didn't see the ones within. This place is trying to change us, Gunn. We can't ever forget that."

"Pretty damn good party, though. I'll see you tomorrow…. Well, today, but later. Oh, and your chair."

"What?"

"Don't sit in it. I already called janitorial."  
"Why can't I…."

"You pissed in the big man's chair?" Spike crowed. "That's fantastic!"  
"Spike, can you please turn off that warm fuzzy?" Buffy said.

"What, the Lorne thing? Wore off. I just think that's bloody fabulous."

"All right, guys, good night. Let Lorne get some sleep, all right?" She pointed at Spike. "Out."

"All right. Just this once." Spike followed Gunn out of the office.

"Mmm…. I'm sorry." Lorne said as Angel shut the door.

"It's ok, Lorne." Buffy soothed. "Just try and get some rest."

"It's…. it's hard. It's hard being the host of the party."

"Stop trying to be." She turned and looked at Angel. "So…."

"Yeah." He held up the marriage license. "What are we going to do about this?"

"Uh…."

"Can I…. Buffy, I think we should just leave it alone."

"You do?"

"I love you. I know I don't want anyone else. Ever. You're it for me."

"You don't want an actual wedding or…."

"Maybe one day…. Down the line…. Sure. We can do the church and the dress and the party, but right now? I'm content with this piece of paper and the little ceremony we had right here in our office. Besides," He held up his left hand to show off his Claddagh ring. "We've already had the rings where they needed to be."

She smiled slightly. "I don't know how to be a wife."

"I don't know how to be a husband. It's one experience I've never had."

"So, then…. We figure it out together?"  
Angel walked over to her and took her hands. "I think that sounds like a great plan." He leaned down to kiss her. "Let's go tell Connor he's got a step-mom."

"Of the non-evil variety." Buffy laughed, following him to the elevator.


	16. Lineage

_**A/N I'm baaaaack! Sorry it's taken me so long to update this. My muse got distracted and I just wasn't feeling the love for writing on any story. Not to mention that this is the fourth draft because my computer decided to hate me and corrupted the file three times before. I ended up writing this on my Google Drive in hopes that it wouldn't corrupt again. It's insanely frustrating to be almost done with a chapter only to be forced to start over again multiple times. Technology, am I right? Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter!**_

Buffy sat at her and Angel's desk while Angel paced furiously back and forth behind her. Wesley was standing solemnly in front of the desk. Angel had gotten wind of a mission that Wesley had taken Fred on that he had deemed too dangerous for her. He and Buffy had had an argument-turned-screaming match before he'd stormed out to go save Fred. Fred was down in medical since she'd been shot through her right shoulder during the fray.

"She could have been killed." Angel growled.

"Medical seems optimistic." Buffy defended. "She should be up and moving soon."

"That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

"What the hell was Fred doing there in the first place?"

"I needed someone who could explain the weapon convincingly." Wesley said.

"Nobody else here knows how to explain a gun?" Angel asked.

"I needed someone who wouldn't arouse Emil's suspicion. Someone I could trust."

"And so conveniently, the only person who could go with you was Fred."

"What does that…."

"She shouldn't have been there. It was a reckless decision."

"Fred has more than proven herself in the field. There was no reason to think…"  
"We found her bleeding to death on the ground! From now on, you clear it with me before using any of my people."

"Your people?" Wesley and Buffy asked in surprise.

"Got it?"

Wesley turned and walked out of the office, ignoring Angel's question. Buffy turned her chair to look up at Angel. "Harsh, much?"

"She could have…." Angel started.

"Been killed. Yeah, I heard you the first thirty times. You do realize that you're making too big a deal about this, right? That whole mountain, mole hill saying. Medical said her wound wasn't that bad."

"You weren't there. You didn't see her."

"I've seen her since she got here and she's fine. Why are you still beating Wesley up about it?"

"He can be careless."

Buffy nodded knowingly. "Focuses too much on the big picture? Overlooks the people involved? Willing to risk anything or anyone for the greater good?"

"Something like that."

"Hmm…. Sounds familiar. Would you like to recap large chunks of our relationship?" Angel shot her a glare, but she didn't back down. "I think there's another reason you're getting so worked up about this." He waited not-so-patiently for her answer. "You don't trust Wesley." Angel deflated some and sat down in his chair. "I get it. He did turn Connor over to your sworn enemy not that long ago."

"He didn't mean for that to happen." Angel said automatically. "He thought he was doing the right thing."

"From where I'm sitting, it all worked out. Connor's happy, you're happy, we're happy…."

"That's got nothing to do with…." He sighed. "I just want to be kept informed. That's all."

"Yeah, I'll believe that never." She watched him for a long moment before it dawned on her. "You're worried about the _next time_ Wesley betrays you trying to do the right thing."

"Stop being so perceptive."

She reached over and took his hand. "I get it. I do. Being kicked out of your own house for making a difficult decision your friends didn't like? It kind of forces some perspectives about betrayal on a gal. I don't recommend my way of dealing with it, though."

"Running off with your boyfriend and signing on to co-run an evil law firm?"

"Yeah. That. It's kind of working out for me since that boyfriend is now my husband and I have a great closet full of shoes, but I'm a special case, I think." She chuckled for a moment before sobering up again. "I'm never going to trust them the way I used to. But I've had a lot of time to think about everything and I've come to the conclusion that I can't spend my life waiting for the next time they decide to stage an impromptu mutiny because they don't like a decision I make. They're my friends. We've been through a lot together. Too much to just throw in the towel when the going gets rough. If it happens again, I'll deal with it then, but right now…. I'm going to look forward to the phone calls I get from them because England is on the other side of the planet and I don't get to talk to them much. Wesley is part of your circle of friends. He's in this with you and the others, shoulder to shoulder. He's here because he believes in the mission and he believes in you. You shouldn't be so down on him like you are."

Angel reached out and looped her hair behind her ear. "I like this wiser Buffy. So very grown up."

"Yeah. I don't know when that happened."

He smiled slightly. "I have a present for you."

"Presents are good, but what's the occasion?"

"It's been a few weeks since we got married and I never got you a wedding present."

"I didn't get you one, either, so…."

"You staying married to me despite the circumstances we got married under was the best present you could've given me."

"Oh."

He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. "I know you weren't sure if you were ready and we're still trying to figure out how a marriage between us works, but I am so very happy I can call you my wife." She gave him a smile. "Ok, present." He let her hands go and turned to the larger desk drawer on his side of the desk. Pulling out a beautifully wrapped box, he presented it to her.

Buffy took care to open the muted silver wrapping, not wanting to destroy the beauty of it. Inside the wrapping was a matte, black box that held intricate drawings she recognized instantly. The one on top was a portrait of her mother. She had the same smile on her face that had always made Buffy feel instantly better. The rest of the drawings were recreations of pictures that had been strewn throughout her house. The last picture at the bottom was a colored drawing. It was a recreation of her favorite picture that had been hanging in the living room. Her mother, her sister, and her were laying on a blanket in the sunshine and smiling brightly.

"Angel…." She breathed. The tears that had been welling in her eyes finally spilled onto her cheeks.

"I'm sorry it's not as good as the others. I'm not great with colors."

"No! It's perfect!"

"I remember it was your favorite and I thought doing it in color would make it a little more special for you."

"This whole thing is special. Thank you so much." Buffy wiped at the tears and smiled at him. "I really wish I had some way to repay you."

Angel shook his head. "I told you that staying married to me was enough. Besides, we shouldn't be keeping score. I don't think that's a great thing for any relationship."

"No, you're right. It isn't." She shuffled through the drawings again. "You're the only person I know that has ever given me something so wonderful and meaningful over and over. I don't know how you do it."

"I didn't think you liked 'Sonnets from the Portuguese' that I gave you for your eighteenth birthday."

Buffy laughed. "I wasn't a huge fan of it when you first gave it to me, but as I got older, it started meaning more and more to me. I think it might actually be my favorite book." She paused and her face turned from elated to melancholy.

"What?"

"It's gone. It was in my house in Sunnydale."

"I can get you another one."

"It won't be mine, though."

"Buffy, it was just a book. It can be replaced."

"Sorry. I know. It's just…. There's so much that can't be replaced that I lost." She gestured at the drawings. "But this? It's not a bad start on getting some memories back."

Angel smiled. "We can go shopping for some frames tomorrow."

* * *

Connor, Buffy, and Angel stood over the open corpse of one of the cyborgs from the night before. They were down in the lab after Fred had called them. Fred, who had been cleared by medical to return to work, was explaining what she had found.

"We found cybernetics throughout the body, in most cases replacing entire organic systems." Fred said.

"Was it human?" Angel asked, looking at the body with a touch of distaste.

"We think so. The nervous system seems human at least, but the rest of the technology is so foreign to us. We can't be sure of anything right now. This thing really blurs the line between human and robot."

"Aha!" Spike said from across the room where he was running his hand through a glass beaker. "So, you're not ruling out that a human being could've boffed a robot. Sex with robots is more common than most people think."

"You're disgusting." Buffy snapped at him.

Angel looked between Spike and Buffy, confused by her sudden venom towards the ghostly vampire. Connor looked up. "Spike made a sex robot that looked like Buffy. Willow reprogrammed it and used it as a decoy while Buffy was dead."

Angel's eyes widened and then narrowed as he glared at Spike. "You're disgusting."

"How do you even know about that?" Spike asked.

Connor shrugged. "Xander told me."

"Um, the cybernetics require central processing to function," Fred interrupted, getting the conversation back on track. "Which means if we can crack its memory, we may find a record of everything it's done till this point."

"Does that mean we could figure out who or what it wanted?" Connor asked, impressing his father.

Before Fred could answer, Spike managed to knock the glass beaker off the shelf. "Hey! Did you…?" They all glared at him and he held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry."

"Um, so far, we haven't had much luck decoding the encryption." Fred said.

"It seems to be a binary-based system, so we'll get there eventually." Knox added. "We just have to find the right transform variable."

"Fred, can you stay on this till we get some answers?" Buffy asked.

Fred nodded. "You got it."

"Let us know if you need any more resources." Buffy and Angel turned to leave, but were stopped by Wesley and the older man walking in with him.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my father, Roger Wyndam-Price." Wesley announced.

"Hello." Roger said.

"Daddy, eh?" Spike asked. "I always thought Wesley was grown in some sort of greenhouse for dandies."

"Spike."

"You've heard of me?"

"No. We've met. 1963. My colleagues and I fell upon you slaughtering an orphanage in Vienna. Killed two of my men before you escaped."

"Oh…. how've you been?"

"I didn't know your father was coming to visit, Wesley." Angel said. He held out his hand. "I'm Angel. Pleasure to meet you."

Roger didn't move to shake Angel's hand. "Do you really expect me to shake that?" The vile little man asked.

"I'm not real comfortable with hugging. No. I realize this may be somewhat of a horror show to you, but I hope you can keep an open mind. We really are doing good work here."

"So I'm told. Incessantly, in fact." Roger turned his gaze to Buffy's stony face. "Miss Summers." She cocked an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms across her chest. "There never was a more disappointing Slayer than you."

"Father!" Wesley cried.

"It's ok, Wes." Buffy said. "It doesn't mean much coming from the biggest embarrassment in Watcher history. Remind me, Roger, how long did your Slayer last? Two months, right? I'm working on eight years and counting." Buffy looked at Fred. "Keep me posted?" Fred nodded and the blonde turned on her heel and marched out of the lab.

Angel and Connor exchanged glances and followed Buffy out. "How do you know about his Slayer?" Angel asked as they walked into their office and closed the door.

"A few years ago, I got obsessed with learning more about the Slayer."

"Why?"

"I wanted to be better than them. I wanted to have a longer life than any of the ones that came before me."

"You're doing a pretty good job so far." Connor said.

"Thank you. I didn't think so back then. So, I trained harder than I ever had, pushed myself to find my limits, and I studied. I read the Watchers' diaries that Giles had kept from the Council and the ones Wesley left behind."

"What were you looking for?" Angel asked.  
"I wanted to know what they did wrong in their final fights. Why they died. How I could avoid that. I even grilled Spike about the two Slayers he killed. I thought about calling you and asking you about the four Angelus killed…."

He looked down. "You know the number."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"You've never been very open to talking about my death. I didn't think you would even entertain the thought of talking to me about those fights." She shrugged. "Anyway, all that studying is how I found out about Wes' dad. I asked Giles about it since Wes was my Watcher once upon a time. He said that Roger Wyndam-Price was a horrible Watcher and a disgrace to the Watcher's Council. His Slayer lasted barely two months."

"What happened?" Connor asked.

"April's first demon she was tasked to take on. This particular demon was trying to make a name for himself by copycatting Jack the Ripper. Terrorized London for three weeks. Roger sent April out to find it even though she had just been called and had only been a potential for about a year. She found the lair and she begged her Watcher to help her. She wasn't ready to take that thing on. He finally agreed to help her, but he gave her the wrong information on how to kill it. I don't know if it was on purpose as a test or if he was just that terrible. The fight turned ugly fast and April was losing. By his own account, Roger could've gotten her out of there, but he chose to leave instead of risking his own neck. The last words in his official journal were 'there will always be another, therefore this is no great loss.'"

"What did the Council do?" Angel asked.

"They were embarrassed that one of their own failed to identify a demon and lost their Slayer as a result of it. They gave him six month's leave without pay and when he came back, he had to work extra hard to get back in their good graces." Buffy looked at Connor. "Watchers were different from Council members. They go through years of special training and have to pass some crazy tests before they're put on the roster to become the Watcher to a potential Slayer. He was taken off that roster. Trained his whole life to be one just like his dad had and he ended up failing miserably."

"I guess his son is doing a lot better since both Slayers he was Watcher to are still alive and kicking." Connor said.

"And one of them has stopped more apocalypses than anyone in history and changed the game forever with the creation of all those Slayers." Angel added.

"High-five, mom!" Connor laughed and then realized he'd called Buffy 'mom'. "Sorry." He turned and bolted out the door before anyone could respond.

Buffy looked at Angel who was turned slightly away trying to hide a smile. She rolled her eyes at him. "How long has he been holding that one back?"

"Since we got married." Angel said. "He asked me if he could call you that and I told him that was up to you. I guess he hasn't had the nerve to ask you."

"Hmph. Like father, like son."

* * *

Buffy and Angel sat side by side behind their desk looking at Fred and Wesley. Spike stood next to them looking eager. An evacuation order had been given and then taken back within minutes. Eve had drug Wesley and Fred up to the CEOs' office.

"What happened?" Buffy asked, confused by the half story they'd been given.

"I can explain." Spike said, stepping up in front of Wesley and Fred. "Apparently, when Percy here was younger, he used to be known as 'head boy.'"

"Spike, shut up."

"Right. I have nothing else to report." Spike walked over to stand near the windows.

"I accidentally tripped the cyborg's self-destruct mechanism." Wesley said.

"Anyone could have made the mistake." Fred defended. "Wesley was just trying to interpret some symbols for us."

"Luckily, my father was there to correct my error."

"Right. Your father." Buffy sniffed.

"Where is he, anyway?" Angel asked.

"Well, Lorne's keeping him entertained." Fred said. "Come to think of it, that's probably not the best idea. I'll go rescue him." She rushed out of the room.

"I'm finished here, too." Spike said. "If you want, I can have someone type up the report about head boy."

"Get out." Buffy and Angel said.

"Suit yourselves." Spike marched out.

"It was a stupid mistake." Wesley said.

Buffy waved her hand in dismissal. "Your dad's visit just threw you off your game. Trust me, I get that completely."

"I find it hard to think straight when he's around."

"Fathers and sons." Angel nodded knowingly. "That can be torture sometimes."

"So can fathers and daughters." Buffy added. She grabbed the folder off her side of the desk and handed it to Wesley. "Check this out. It came from your department. There's been multiple reports of assassins that sound a lot like our cyborg."

"Hmm." Wesley skimmed over the reports. "Group of them took out a demon cabal in Jakarta. Another group destroyed the Tanmar Death Chamber. Sounds like they're doing our work for us."

"These are good guys?" Angel asked, getting up to look over Wesley's shoulder.

"I don't know. I should reference this with the markings we found, find some clues as to their origin."

"Get on it. If these guys are on our side, then somebody should tell them before they start trying to kill us again." Wesley nodded and left the office, closing the door behind him. Angel turned to Buffy and said, "I guess the rest of the good guys didn't get the memo that we're not evil."

"That's what we get for signing on with an evil law firm." Buffy said. She glanced out to see Fred laughing at something Wesley's father was saying before Wesley and Roger went towards Wesley's office. "I guess Fred is the only one who doesn't have daddy issues, huh?"

"Lucky her." He glanced over at her. "Have you told your dad that you're back in LA?"

Buffy snorted. "What difference would it make? He's probably in Spain with his secretary, anyway. Or Greece with his golf instructor. Or Japan with his masseuse. Or Australia with…. You get the picture."  
"When was the last time you talked to him?"

"Honestly, I don't remember. I stopped caring when he didn't call after mom died." She shook her head angrily. "He just left us there in Sunnydale to fend for ourselves. It amazes me that he can walk away from his daughters and just pop in randomly when he remembers we exist." Buffy snorted. "He wasn't always like that. I don't know when he changed. When I was little, he was so attentive. I can remember him taking me to the park after Dawn was born for weekly daddy/daughter days to make sure I didn't feel left out."

Angel reached over and took her hand. "Buffy…." Suddenly the lights went out and an alarm started blaring. Buffy and Angel shot to their feet and went out into the lobby. "What's happening?"

"We've lost power, communications…." Gunn said, striding towards them with Connor.

"Can somebody please shut off the…" Buffy started, but the alarm stopped mid-sentence. "That's better."

"Not sure it is. I think that means we lost security, too."

Spike walked through the closed elevator doors. "Uh, something's wrong with the elevator."

"Get security online." Angel ordered. "I need to know if this is a false alarm."

An army of cyborgs appeared in the lobby, attacking the people around them. Buffy, Angel, Connor, and Gunn moved into action as Gunn said, "I'm thinking it's not a false alarm."

"How many of these guys are there?" Buffy yelled as she pummeled two and three at a time. Connor tossed her one and she kicked it into the stair railing. They spotted Gunn having trouble with two of his and fought their way towards him. Connor made it first and Buffy turned to defend them. One of the ones beating Gunn grabbed Buffy around the neck and began to choke her.

"Buffy!" Spike ran up and pulled back his arm.

"Spike…." Buffy struggled to get out of the chokehold.

Spike held his other hand up in a stop motion. "Sorry. I have to concentrate." She rolled her eyes and threw herself forward through Spike. The cyborg flew over her and she popped to her feet. "I was working on it!" Spike protested when she turned her glower on him.  
Buffy looked around and realized that Angel was gone, but Fred had shown up. "Buffy!" Fred cried, running over to her and dodging cyborgs.

"What are you doing?" Buffy ushered her out of the way of the fight that was beginning to die down.

"Buffy, Angel's on the roof. Wesley needs help up there. Angel and Roger went up there."

"Ok. I'll go up there and help. Can you help the people that are injured get to medical?"

"Of course." Fred turned and went over to help one of the downed lawyers.

"Oh, uh, Eve's stuck in the elevator." Spike said.

"She can rot there as far as I'm concerned." Buffy said, heading for the stairway. She sighed and turned back around. "So tell maintenance." With that, she raced up the stairs towards the roof. When she threw open the doorway, she found Angel on the ground writhing in pain and Wesley pointing a gun at his father.

"Walk away from this, Wesley." Roger was saying. "You'll never understand what we're trying to do here."

"You're using the Staff of Devosynn to take Angel's will, make him your slave." Wesley said. "Your cyborgs panic a bit too easily."

Buffy rushed over to Angel's side as Roger gestured at Angel saying, "That creature is more dangerous to mankind than you realize."

"Call him a creature one more time and you're getting tossed off the roof." Buffy growled.

Wesley moved a little closer to Buffy and Angel, still keeping his gun trained on Roger. "You're wrong about him. He's not what you think."

"He's a puppet. He always has been." Roger yelled. "To the Powers That Be, to Wolfram & Hart. Now he's ours."

"You went to a lot of trouble to get this staff." Wesley held up the stick thing in his other hand. "You had us attacked, you smuggled in a weapon, you brought in an army so you could escape…. I don't know why you're doing all this, but did you ever once consider there might be another way? Did you ever once consider talking to me about it?"

"No. You've failed me enough for one lifetime. You know what that vampire is and what he's done, and you follow him anyway?"

"Maybe I know what I'm doing. Why can't you trust that?" Wesley retored.

"You disgrace yourself with the council, you join forces with him, and you have the nerve to ask me why I can't trust you?"

"I've done everything you ever asked, and I've done it well."

"I asked for this, hmm? I wanted to be humiliated?"

"You humiliated yourself in your stint as a Watcher." Buffy muttered.

"No, I suppose I don't know what you really wanted." Wesley said, not hearing Buffy's comment. "You never had any use for me as a child, and you can't bear the thought of me as an adult. Tell me, father, what is it that galls you so, that I was never as good at the job as you…." He glanced at Buffy, his onetime charge who was still alive and working at being the best Slayer there had ever been. "Or that I just might be better?"

"You think because she and that other Slayer are still alive, you get some credit for that?" Roger scoffed. "One of them is a murderer and the other is sleeping with the enemy. Yes, congratulations on a job well done."

Buffy rolled her eyes and went to join Wesley, still staying close to Angel. "You may not have been the greatest Watcher then, Wes, but you're not so bad now." She turned to Roger. "And I've got one word for you: April." Roger blinked. "Does she haunt your dreams, Rog? She died in such a horrible way and you let it happen. Do you have _any_ guilt over it?"

"She was a Slayer. You're all expendable."

Buffy cocked her head, hearing for the first time that Wesley's father didn't sound like Wesley or Fred. He sounded like the cyborgs. She hadn't realized it until she'd been surrounded by them and then by just plain humans. Changing tactics, she stepped forward a little. "How did you escape the Bringers?"

"What?"

"The bald guys in robes with carvings where their eyes should be? Worked for the First? Came after the Watchers? How did you escape them?" The First had gone after everyone involved with the Watcher's Council, including Roger. Giles had found out that Roger had managed to escape the bombing of the Council Building by being on a book-buying trip to Egypt. Bringers had raided the house he'd been staying at in Egypt, but they had just missed him. The Bringers had been called off their mission when Buffy had defeated the First. By sheer luck, Roger Wyndam-Price had cheated death twice.

"I killed them of course." The fake Roger said after a moment. "They invaded my home and I knew them to be agents of the First."

Buffy nodded. "So, your memory banks haven't been updated very recently, then?"

"Hand me that staff!" Fake Roger yelled.

A helicopter hovered into view, shining bright white lights on the rooftop. Wesley began shooting the cyborg until his clip was empty. The cyborg dropped to the ground, dead. The glamor spell fell away, revealing the cyborg shimmering with electricity.

Buffy looked up at Wesley. "You ok?"

"I believe so." He looked down at her. "How did you know?"

She shrugged. "Heightened Slayer hearing. Another perk of that spell, I guess. Would you mind fixing Angel, please?"

* * *

Wesley walked into Angel's office to find him sitting on the couch, holding his belly, with Buffy sitting next to him wiping his brow with a cool washcloth. "How are you doing?" Wesley asked.

"Well, you know that worst part about losing your free will?" Angel asked.

"Having no control over your body?"

"Well, there's that and…. You get really nauseous."

"The effect should wear off before too long."

"Any idea where these things came from?" Buffy asked. "What they were trying to do with him?" Wesley shook his head.

"Great. Like we don't have enough to worry about." Angel said. "Now the good guys may be after us, too."

"We have to assume we crossed some powerful forces when we took over this company." Wesley offered.

"They're all trying to bring us down. The perception is that we're weak."

"No. The perception is I'm weak. That's why they went for me."

"They're wrong." Buffy reached over and took Wesley's hand. "I meant what I said up there. You're not so bad now. You do what you have to do to protect the people around you. You do what you know is right, regardless of the cost."

"You know," Angel added. "I never really understood that. You're the guy who makes all the hard decisions, even if you have to make them alone."

"That thing knew everything about me."

"You know, if they had access to the Watchers Council's old files, they'd have your background information, character assessments, psychological profiles…. Everything they'd need." Buffy said. "Except the most recent information. I thought it was funny that he never mentioned what happened in Sunnydale."

"You should get some rest." Angel said.

"So should you." Wesley nodded at them and walked out.

Angel looked over at Buffy. "And you should call your dad."

"What? Why?"

"Buffy, he's your father. You only get one in your life. Look, even if he is the biggest jerk on the planet for abandoning the most amazing woman I've ever met, he has memories of your life that no one else does. And you said it wasn't always bad. Maybe now that you're older, it could be good again. You just need to call him."

She sighed. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to try. I mean…. He has a son-in-law now. That's a big deal. If he's feeling fatherly, he'll probably want to meet you." Angel's eyes widened as she stood up. "I'll just go call him now."

He grabbed her hand. "It doesn't have to be right now. It's late." Buffy laughed as he pulled her back down to the couch.


	17. Destiny

Buffy sat at her and Angel's desk listening to Connor tell her about his night with Nina. They had spent the night together after a _really_ good date and now he was nervous about the next step. "I mean, I did that with Cordelia…. Or the thing that was in Cordelia's body…. But I just couldn't bring myself to do that with Nina last night."

"I get it. I mean, my first time was pretty traumatizing, too, and I didn't trust myself with anyone else for a long time. Of course…. My second time wasn't great either." Buffy paused. "Wait, why are you talking to me about this and not your dad? Shouldn't he be the one…."

"I can't talk to him about these things! He gets all flustered." She chuckled. "Where is he anyway?"  
"Oh, I abandoned him to Spike this morning."

"Why?"

"Spike came up and started in about wanting his own office. I snuck out when they started yelling."

"Get the hell away from me, Spike!" Angel growled out in the lobby.

"Oh, there they are now." Buffy grinned at Connor and he went over to sit down on the couch.

"You selfish sod!" Spike said, voice raised in anger. "The rest of your lot get to go home to their nice and cozies. Me? I gotta nest in somebody else's roost. It's not bleeding right."

"You don't work here. You haunt this place and annoy me. That's all." Angel walked into the office and turned to stop Spike from walking in.

"Job well done, eh? At least give me Wesley's office. I mean, since he's gone."

"He's not gone. He's on a leave of absence." Angel slammed the door shut. He turned his glower on Buffy. "You left me."

"Yeah, well…. Work to do. Kid to counsel."

Angel looked at Connor. "You didn't come home last night."

"He was with Nina."

The vampire's eyebrows shot up. "Oh! Uh…. Wow. You…. And Nina…. You…."

"See?" Connor gestured at Angel. "Flustered."

Buffy laughed again. "Connor, honestly, the only advice I can give you here…. Step-mom to step-son…. Do what you feel is right. When you're ready, you'll know. Nina is a decent girl. She'll respect your choices. And if she doesn't, she'll stay in her cage the next full moon till she comes around."

Connor smiled at her. "Thanks, Buffy."  
Something hit the doors to the office with a loud thud. The three of them exchanged glances and Angel went over to see what had hit the doors. Spike was sprawled on the ground with a bloody nose.

"Hold on…." Spike said, looking up in shock. Behind him, the lobby was filled with the constant noise of telephones ringing. "Hey." He stood up. "I'm…." He touched his chest. "I can feel!" He reached out and touched Angel's chest.

"Hey!" Angel cried. "Stop touching me."  
Spike licked his lip to discover his nose was bleeding. "Mmm! I can…." He grabbed the mug from Angel's hand and downed it.

"Hey!"

"Oh, God! It's bloody ambrosia. Is this otter?"

"Hey, what's going?" Gunn asked, making his way across the lobby towards them.

Spike grabbed the man in a tight hug. "I'm back, Charlie boy! That's what's going!"

"He's corporeal. When did this? I mean, how?"

"All very valid questions." Buffy said. "And none of them with answers."

"I got it." Spike said. "It must've been that box of flash I got in the mail."

"Box of what?" The Slayer began rubbing her ears against the noise coming from the phones.

"Harmony opened the box, it let out a big flash, and now I'm back!" He grabbed her into a tight hug, lifting her off the ground slightly.

"Put my wife down." Angel complained. "Who sent the box to you?"

"Don't know, don't care. But if you see him, give him a bloody kiss on the mouth for me."

"Harmony, what's the deal with the phones?" Buffy asked, moving away from the group by the doors.

"Nobody knows." Harmony said. "It's, like, all over the office. And all there's just 'eee!' on the other end. Plus, now my computer's freaking."

"Harm." Spike strode over and grabbed her to him, kissing her.

"Get off!" Harmony shoved Spike away. "Ew."

"That's the idea." Spike looked at Buffy. "I need to borrow your Gal Friday for a bit."

"Permission denied." Angel said.

"I wasn't asking." He grabbed Harmony's wrist and pulled.

"My God!" She yanked away from him. "Oh, my God. What? You think just cause you're all solid now, that I'm gonna go…."

"That's a very pretty skirt you're wearing."

Harmony took a moment before turning around. "Taking a long lunch, bosses!" She let Spike grab her hand again and they ran off.

"Gross." Connor said.

Once they were gone and the conversation stopped, Buffy realized how high pitched the sound that was coming from the multiple phones and computers actually was. Her ears began to ache from the constant barrage of sound and she covered them up. "Angel…."

"Kill them." Angel ordered one of the tech guys running by. "All of them. The phones, the computers…. Shut them down. Find out if we got some kind of bug in the system and who put it there." He wrapped a protective arm around her waist.

"Figure we're under some kind of attack again?" Gunn asked.

"I don't know what to figure yet."

Fred rushed down the stairs. "Angel?"

"Oh, let me guess. The lab computers are on the fritz."

"Well, yeah, but that's just the tip of the fritzberg. The needles on our atmospheric gauges suddenly started spiking into red. Totally blew out the instruments."

Angel led Buffy back into the office with everyone hot on their heels. "Sounds like some kind of electrical surge, like what's affecting our phones and…."

"Well, yeah. That's what I thought at first, but I think it might be something else."

"Never simple, is it?" He sat Buffy down and smoothed her hair down. "Are you ok? Is it better in here?"  
"Yeah." Buffy rubbed her ears gently. "That noise doesn't hurt your ears?"

"It's not pleasant, but it's not physically hurting me."

Buffy looked over at Connor and he shook his head. "Guess it's another side effect of that spell. Less sleep, more power, even more sensitive hearing."

"I'll have Harmony get you some tea…."

"Uh, she's off having a nooner with Blondie Bear, remember?" Gunn said.

"She's what?" Fred asked.

"You know, 'nooner.' When you have sex in the middle of…."

"I know what a nooner is, Charles. You said she's with Spike?"

"Uh, yeah. He's corporeal again." Angel sat down next to Buffy and rubbed her back.

"Corporeal?"  
"Apparently he got something in the mail." Connor said. "He said it flashed him and now he's a solid citizen again."  
"Oh, my god! Why didn't anyone call me?"

"I'm sorry." Angel said. "We just, you know, we've had our hands full dealing with the glitch in the office system…. Buffy's ears hurt from the sound coming out of them…."

"Which started with Spike coming back." Connor pointed out. Everyone looked at him except Buffy.

"I can't believe I'm just getting that." Angel said. He looked at the phone and realized the noise could be heard even though it was hung up. Grabbing it, he ripped it off the chord and tossed it across the room.

"You think whatever recorporealized Spike's doing a number on the building?" Gunn asked.

"Connor's right." Buffy said. "They're definitely connected."

"Maybe when Spike's matter was reintegrated into physical form, it had some sort of ripple effect on the immediate environment." Fred said.

"I was going to say that." The Slayer muttered, making Connor laugh and Angel grin at her.

"If those gauge readings are correct, it could be the start of something bigger, like…."

"The entire universe thrown into catastrophic turmoil?" Eve said from the doorway. "Cause that's what's happening, kids."

"Great. Just what my headache needs." Buffy groaned as Eve sauntered further into the office.

"So you know what's going on?" Gunn asked.

"Only what I'm told, counselor. Corporate seers alerted me to the situation."  
"Which is?" Angel asked.

"It's a harbinger."

"Harbinger?" Fred asked.

"I am beyond tired of that word." Buffy said.

"Not related to your Bringers." Eve said.  
"They're not _my_ Bringers."

"Upshot is we've got trouble with a capital T, and that rhymes with P, and that stands for prophecy. Shanshu. Maybe you've heard of it?"

"Oh, god. That again." Angel said. "Yeah, I'm familiar. So?"

"It talks about a champion. A vampire with a soul who'll play a pivotal role in the apocalypse. For good or evil. Anybody's guess. That part's hazy."

"I thought the Shanshu had to do with Angel becoming human again after…." Fred trailed off when she realized Connor had gone completely still and all the color was missing from his face. "Oh…."  
"I'm sorry, what?" Connor asked. "Dad could become human?"

"For the record, the prophecy doesn't call Angel by name." Eve said.

"Hold on." Gunn said. "You're saying because Spike's back, you think he's…."

"I don't think anything. All I can tell you is his very existence is disrupting the order of things."

"No argument here." Angel muttered.

"We're going to get back to the whole 'Angel might be human one day' thing, but I feel like we're missing the obvious here." Buffy said. "There were already two souled vampires in the universe before Spike died in the Hellmouth. Why is this happening now?"

"The keyword here is 'champion.'" Eve said. "Spike gave his life to save the world. That gives him the cred. But when he died and became a ghost, case closed. Now that he's back, all bets are off, kids."

Gunn suddenly headed for the door. "Where are you going?" Angel called.

"To check on something."  
"You knew this would happen." Fred accused Eve. "All that time I was working on recorporealizing Spike, you never mentioned?"

"Hey, would've said something if I'd known, sweetie." Eve defended. "My universe, too, you know. How'd you pull it off, by the way, bringing Spike back? You guys…. Did do it, right?"

"Something came in the mail for him." Buffy said.

"The mail? Like the amulet."

"Yeah." Angel said. "Never did find out who sent it."

"The senior partners, maybe?" Fred said.

"Watch the accusatory stares, kids." Eve warned. "I only know…."

"What you're told." Angel finished for her. "Right. So, the seers told you the phones and all were a harbinger. Of what?"  
"Something worse. And seriously dangerous."

"What do you mean, dangerous?"

"I'm sorry, can everyone leave this office, please?" Connor suddenly said.

"We're in the middle of…." Eve started.

"Nope. Not anymore."  
"Connor…." Angel started.

"You stay where you're at. And Buffy."

"We'll give you a minute." Fred said, ushering Eve forcefully out the door.

"Connor…." Angel tried again.

"Anything that comes after my name better be a damn good explanation of why you never told the two most important people in your life that there's a prophecy out there that says you're going to be human one day."

"Uh…. He told me." Buffy said.

"What?"  
"He didn't mean to. Spike let it slip one night."

Connor looked at his dad. "But why didn't _you_ tell me?"

"I didn't think it was necessary because I'm still not sure it's ever going to happen."

"Why do you think it's never going to happen?" Connor asked.

"Because it's insane! I will never be human. And even if I did finally make amends for all of the horrible things I've done, it'll never be in your lifetime. So why would I ever tell the two people I love more than anything in the world that they'll never get to see this stupid prophecy come true? I didn't even want to tell Buffy about it!"

"It's not insane." Buffy insisted. "I've already told you that I think it's entirely possible that it will happen in our lifetime."

"I'm with Buffy!" Connor announced.

"Of course you are." Angel muttered.

"Look, I can't keep saying this, but the Powers That Be chose you as their champion." Buffy said. "They sent you Connor. Not Spike. Not any other vampire. Not any other champion. You. Connor is a champion of good just like you. He's growing up to be just like you. And even further back, the Powers sent Whistler to guide you to me and despite all the bad things that have happened between us, we're together now. We're fighting side by side again! You, me, and Connor. I have to think it's for a reason. This prophecy…. Shannon's shoes…."

"Shanshu."

"Yeah, that…. It's the reason, Angel."

He looked between Buffy and Connor and knew that he wasn't winning this. And maybe Buffy was right. He sometimes forgot that Whistler had found him in that alley and shown him his future on the steps of a high school. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't be where he was today.

"Dad?" Connor said.

"Ok. The prophecy isn't insane." Angel relented. "If you guys believe it can happen, then…. I'll try to believe it, too."

"That's all we're asking for." Buffy said.

There was a knock on the door and Angel rushed over to open it, relieved to have an out from the conversation. "Yeah?"

* * *

Medics pulled a sheet over the body of the man Jerry had killed with a fire extinguisher. Jerry, who was tied down with restraints, was being wheeled away on a stretcher. He was frantic as he yelled about being considerate and replacing the toner. Buffy, Angel, and Connor stood with Lorne, who was sitting on a box of papers near the copier holding a handkerchief to his forehead. The word "toner" was written in blood on the wall above the copier.

"Yeah, well, then I see Mr. Considerate here, covered in blood, making mashed potatoes out of this fella." Lorne said. "And before I could get to, 'What's wrong with this picture?', he clocks me right in the coconut."

"We have 2 more attacks." A security guard said to them. "One fatality."

"Ok, seal off the building." Angel said. "Nobody in or out till we know what we got here. Spell, virus, mass hysteria…."

"Yes, sir." He walked away talking into his radio. "All channels, we have a code black. Affirmative. We are closing Pandora's Box."

"Hey, say, fearless leaders, uh, if you don't mind," Lorne stood up. "What do you say I, uh, nurse this bump with an ice pack while I barricade myself in my office, huh?"

"Your call." Angel said. "Hey, Lorne, do me a favor first. Stop by the lab and tell Fred I need to know the second she figures out what's causing this."

"Yeah, gotcha." Lorne said, walking away a bit unsteadily on his feet.

"Come on, Angel. You know what's causing all this." Eve said, appearing from around the corner. "This is just the beginning. The fabric of reality is starting to unravel. For my money, it all comes down to you and…."

"Spike!" Buffy said. She'd spotted the Billy Idol doppelganger walk out of an office and close the door behind him.

"I don't know what you're putting in the water coolers around here," Spike complained. "But your secretary just started crying blood and tried to rip me a few new ones."

"Harmony?"

"Had to put her porch lights out. For the best. I'm sure you understand."

"Oh, yeah." Angel said. "You're a real hero."

"And that's our problem in a nutshell." Eve said.

"Don't you have an elsewhere to be?" Buffy griped.

" _Our_ problem?" Spike asked.

"Eve's got this theory." Connor said.

"Fact, Jack." Eve said. "There's only supposed to be one candidate for the vampire with the soul hero part in the big show. Two of you, and the wheel of destiny starts to spin off its axis. That's why everything and everyone is going mad."

"Hold on a tick." Spike said. "You're blaming this on us?"

"No, she's blaming it on you." Angel said.

"This town might not be big enough for the both of you." Eve said.

"Well, screw this town, then. Screw this devil's funhouse, Angel. And screw you for good measure. I think I'll take the new flesh and bones across the pond back to Europe. Maybe I'll head down south and check out New Zealand. Whatever strikes my fancy." Spike turned and headed down the hallway.

"Spike, by town, I mean this entire plane of existence. You won't solve this disequilibrium by leaving. You might even make it worse."

Spike stepped back from the elevator when the doors opened. Gunn emerged looking a bit terrified. "Let's not make it worse. We don't want worse." He said. "I just went to the white room to see what the big cat had to say."

"And?" Angel asked.

"Cat's gone."

"Gone?" Eve repeated.  
"The white room, too. Elevator just opened up into a howling abyss. You ever heard a howling abyss? Terrible sound."

"Cat's gone means the conduit's gone means we're alone in this. No contact with the Senior Partners. Just us and a big, gaping tear in the balance of the universe."

Buffy sighed. "Spike, please get off the elevator."

He looked at her for a long moment and then stepped off and turned his gaze on Angel. "How exactly are you gonna work this out, boss man? You tell me we're making a tear in the galaxy or whatnot…. You think you're just gonna sew that back up?"

"If there was just some way to determine which one of you the prophecy's really about…." Even said.

"Angel." Buffy and Connor said.

"You two sound certain." Spike said.

"I just read the Shanshu prophecy and I'm telling you, there was nothing in it…." Angel started, but Spike interrupted him.

"Hold on. You read the prophecy? The one you don't believe in? Uh, load of rubbish, you said? Well, isn't that bloody interesting."

"Spike…."

"No offense, Angel." Gunn said. "What we need is someone who's an expert on the Shanshu scriptures."

"Fine, but Wesley's not here." Angel said.

"No, but his department is." Eve reminded them. "Maybe somebody there can…."

"Do what? I'm telling you, I read the prophecy."

* * *

Rutherford Sirk sat at his desk glaring at Buffy and Angel sitting in the chairs in front of him. Connor, Eve, Gunn, and Spike stood behind them. "You didn't read the prophecy." Sirk insisted.

"I didn't?" Angel asked.

"You read a translation of the prophecy. It's like comparing the King James Bible with the original Aramaic, the Hebrew. Much of the flavor, the subtlety of usage, the historical context has been stripped away. Read the prophecy. You may as well have read a 12-year-old's book report on the subject."

Buffy leaned over to Angel and whispered, "I miss Wesley."

"Ok, Sirk. Point made." Angel said. "Listen, is there anything in the Shanshu that can help us with what's going on?"

"Yeah. What's it say about me?" Spike asked.

"There is a newly translated group of verses which may perhaps prove relevant." Sirk revealed. "'The root of the tree will split in two and each thing will seek nourishment from the buried river."

"Sounds like a gardening tip."

"It's metaphor. Please tell me I don't have to explain metaphor to you people."

"As co-CEO, I'm pretty sure I can fire you and take your pension, right?" Buffy threatened cheerily.

Sirked rolled his eyes. "'Storm unleashed. The balance will falter until the vampire with a soul drinks from the cup of perpetual torment.'"

"More metaphor?" Angel asked.

"No, that's real."

"So there's a cup." Eve said.

"Perpetual torment?" Spike asked. "Just know that's not gonna taste very good."

"'He will have the weight of worlds upon him, binding his limbs, grinding his bones to meal until he saves creation or destroys it.'" Sirk said, raising his voice slightly.

"Uh…. right. So, what's in it for me?"

"The vampire will have his past washed clean."

"And live again in mortal form." Angel finished. "Yeah, that part I know."

"Yeah, I bet you do." Spike said.

Buffy glared at him. "Watch it." She turned back to Sirk. "So, Angel drinks from the cup and the universe is balanced again?"

"Who says it's Angel who's supposed to take the swig?" Spike asked. "Who says it's about him at all?"

"You really think this is about you?" Connor sneered.

"Oh, why the bloody hell not? Just cause…."

"Boys, let's focus on the problem at hand." Eve said. "We don't want to be wrong about this."

"There is no wrong." Sirk insisted. "The drinking of the cup is predestined. That can't be changed. Whoever drinks from it was meant to. When one is confirmed as the central figure of the prophecy, the universe should realign itself."  
"So, this cup thing," Gunn said. "Where is it? Does it say?"

"It does offer some details, yes. Housed in the hidden city of Petra. Disappears during the crusades. Surfaces again at the Vatican. Vanishes in the third year of the inquisition. Then…. yes. Interesting."

"What?" Angel asked.

"It's in Nevada."

"Nevada?" Gunn asked incredulously.

"Death Valley, to be exact. 'The earth will thrash and mark the appearance of the cup at the columns.'"

Angel and Buffy exchanged glances. He looked back at Sirk. "Columns? That sounds vaguely…."  
"'And the desert will swallow cup and house whole and….' this can only be loosely translated. 'And the fat lady will sing no more.'"

"Opera."

"Opera?" Buffy asked.

"The Columns was an opera house in Death Valley. It was buried in an earthquake in '38. Made headlines in Los Angeles. That's only a few hours away. I can get there and back before…."

"Angel, we got a seriously major crisis going on here." Gunn said. "Might not be the best time to go running after some mystical cup."

"I really don't have much of a choice. If it's there, I'm just gonna have to accept that the prophecy's real, and hope that it stops this madness. In the meantime, Gunn, you're in charge. Keep this place quarantined till we get…."

"Where's Spike?" Connor asked.

Buffy groaned. "Are you kidding me?" She grabbed Angel's hand. "Come on!"

They rushed down to the motor pool and saw that the red Viper was missing. "Of course!" Angel growled.

She reached into her pocket to grab her cell phone, but it was gone. "How did he…. Spike!"

"What?" Angel asked as they slid into his black Camaro.

"He nicked my phone." Buffy sighed. "Why is he doing this? He doesn't care about being a hero."

"He's doing it because he knows it's what I want."

"Glad you've changed your tune on it."

"I had a couple little shoves in the right direction."

She smiled at him. "So, do you know any shortcuts?"

* * *

Two hours later, they were speeding down the highway into the desert. Buffy used Angel's cell to call hers again, hoping that Spike would finally answer. She was very surprised he did on this one.

"Yello!" He said cheerily.

"You know, grand theft auto is a crime." Buffy said.

"Possession's 9/10s. Oughta know that, running a law firm and such."

"That applies to married couples. Are you married to either of us?"

Angel grabbed the phone from Buffy. "You think this is a game? People are dying."

"And one of us is going to stop it. Hey, what do you know? I vote for me."

"There's no voting. It's a prophecy. And the Shanshu's not about you, Spike."

"Still can't accept it, can you? Sad, really. All these years believing you're the signified monkey, only to find out you're just a big hunk of nobody cares."

"I care!" Buffy yelled, grabbing the phone back. "I care, Spike."

"I really wished he'd stayed a ghost." Angel yelled.

"But I didn't, did I?" Spike said. "Burned up saving the world and now I'm back for real. Wonder why that is? Oh, wait. Cause I'm the one!"

"Spike, please don't do this to me." Buffy begged.

"To you!? How is this to you?"

"You're taking away the chance for Angel to be human with me!"

"Course I am! Why should he get to be the glorified one? Why should he always get the girl and get the prize? I saved the world too!"

"You saved the world once, Spike! Once! Angel has spent years fighting to atone for what he's done in the past! You have no right to just walk in and take that from him because you're feeling petty!" He hung up on her and she looked at the phone in shock. "He hung up on me!"

Angel pushed down on the accelerator again, making the car speed up just a little more. They made it to the opera house an hour later. The red Viper was parked outside, but the engine was still warm. He hadn't been there long. They made their way inside the half sunken building.

"Here we are, then." Spike said above them from a balcony. "Two vampire heroes competing to wet our whistle with a drink of light, refreshing torment."

"Is that what you think you are? A hero?"

"Your wife called me a champion."

"You're not acting like a champion right now." Buffy said.

"Suppose I'm not, but the universe is out of balance because you made me believe I was one."

"I still believe you are." Spike rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, you saved the world, but do you honestly believe that you've done enough to earn this big of a reward?"  
"I died!"

"You do realize who you're talking to, right? You were there the night I sacrificed myself to save the world for the _second time_. Remember? Please come down here."

Spike, much to their surprise, actually did jump down to them. "Why does he deserve this more than I do?"

"Because he's spent the last eight years atoning for what he did as Angelus. Because the Powers That Be have done everything they can to keep him here and fighting. They sent a freak snow storm to Southern California to stop him from killing himself. They sent me to him, Spike. They gave us each other."

Spike paced away for a few steps, making Buffy and Angel nervous that he was going to run. "How do you know they didn't send you to me?"

"Spike…."

He growled. "I hate the idea of him always winning and me getting the short stick!"

"It won't always be that way, you know. One day it'll be your turn if that's what you really want."

Spike turned to look at her. "You don't really believe that."

"Of course I do, you jackass. I'm the only one that's ever believed that of you."

"You didn't always."

"No, I didn't, but you were trying to kill me for a good portion of the time I've known you." She reached out and took his hand. "I wouldn't have had that chip removed or elected to give you that amulet if I didn't believe it with every fiber of my being that you are a good person deep down."

He sighed and looked between Angel and Buffy before settling on Angel. "Fine. The cup's yours. Let's go find this thing."

Angel looked at Spike's retreating back in surprise. "Take it and roll with it." Buffy said, following Spike. They searched through the decrepit lobby area before walking to the theatre. On the stage was a golden chalice on a pedestal bathed in light.

"Suppose that's it?" Spike asked.

"That, or the Holy Grail." Angel said. The three of them made their way up to the pedestal and looked at the cup.

Spike clapped Angel on the back. "Have at it, Peaches! Enjoy the bold refreshing taste of eternal torment."

Angel rolled his eyes. "Thanks." He picked up the cup and sniffed it. Giving the cup a confused look, he sniffed it again and then took a sip. "It's Mountain Dew."

"I've always said that Mountain Dew was the equivalent to eternal torment." Buffy said.

"No, it's really Mountain Dew." He handed her the cup.

Buffy sniffed it warily and then took a sip. "It's really flat, too."

Spike took the offered cup and drank it, too. "Ladies and gents, we've been bamboozled."

"Looks like it." Angel said. "We need to get back."

* * *

Buffy, Angel, Connor, Gunn, and Spike were seated around Buffy and Angel's office listening to Eve update them on the situation. When they had gotten back to Wolfram and Hart, Sirk had been gone. Not long after they'd arrived, the people with the bleeding eyes and anger issues had started waking up.  
"Senior partners stepped in." Eve said. "Apparently they were working on the problem since it started. They managed to temporarily stabilize the universal equilibrium."

"Temporarily?" Buffy asked. "For how long?"

"What about Sirk and this fantasy he fed us about the cup?" Angel asked.

Eve shrugged. "Partners don't know a thing about it. They're as angry as you."  
"Really doubt that."

"Don't worry, Angel. Sirk can't hide for long. We'll bring him in, find out who put him up to it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go home and ice my neck."

She headed for the door, but Gunn stopped her. "Uh, Eve…. uh…. listen…. I'm really…."

"Don't sweat it, counselor. You've other things to worry about. The whole Shanshu thing's still unresolved. Still two vampires with souls. Guess that's a question for another day." Eve made a hasty retreat.

"Any more days like today, and there won't be another day."

"Yeah, well, meantime…." Spike stood up. "This souled ex-ghost vampire's got some corporeal drinking to catch up on. What do ya say, Charlie-boy? Feel like gettin' pissed?"

"No. No, my head feels like it's gonna split open and toss my toys and candy all over the floor."  
"You're way ahead of me. Fair enough." Spike looked at Buffy for a moment and gave her a smile before walking out.

Connor looked over at Gunn. "Hey, man. You look pretty bad. Maybe you should have Fred check you out."

"Nah, she'll just wanna strap me down again." Gunn said, heading out of the office.

After a moment, Connor turned and looked at Buffy and Angel. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to bed."

"You didn't sleep?" Buffy asked.

"Not a wink. I was worried about you guys. What happened out there, anyway?"

"Buffy talked some sense into Spike." Angel said.

"She seems to be the only one that can."

"I noticed."

"I'm hungry." Buffy announced. "Angel, would you like to go on a lunch date with me?"

He gave her grin in return. "Let me get cleaned up and we'll head out."

"Good idea." She slipped her hand in his as the three of them headed to their private elevator.


	18. Damage

Buffy sat up suddenly, panting and drenched in a cold sweat. She quickly realized she was in her bed in the penthouse of Wolfram and Hart. Angel was sitting up beside her, holding her up, and looking concerned. "Angel…."

"Hey…. It's ok." He said soothingly, placing his hand on her cheek. "You're safe." She took a few calming breaths and laid back down. Angel pulled her close against him. "Are you ok? What was that about?"

"I don't know."

"You don't have a demonic parasite from Eve, do you?"

"Not that I know of."

"The last couple of weeks was kind of a bad dream. Were you dreaming of that?"

Buffy chuckled. "No. I wasn't dreaming of that, but yes, they were horrible."

The two CEOs had spent a week trying to keep two demon tribes from starting a war. Their liaison between the tribes had been killed and it had left Gunn in charge of the negotiations in the man's place. Harmony had been framed for the liaison's murder by one of the other secretaries.

Eventually, everything had worked out, but then Eve had been caught trying to kill Angel. She had managed to keep Buffy busy and away from her husband while she'd been poisoning Angel with some demonic parasite. Angel had spent a whole day having one hellish fever dream after the next.

"Will you tell me what your dream was about?" Angel asked. She lifted up on her arm and looked down at him. "Buffy, you can share anything with me. Good or bad."

"I know I can." He reached up and moved her hair behind her shoulder. She closed her eyes as she laid down on his chest. He began to stroke his fingers lightly up and down her back under her tank top. "I honestly don't know what it was. It was just flashes of violence and pain and death."

"Slayer dream?"

"No. Maybe? I honestly have no idea." She stretched and pressed herself against him as he lightly ran his nails against her ribs. "Mmm…. This is a good distraction."

"Then let me distract you some more." His arm tightened around her waist and he pulled her up to kiss her deeply.

* * *

The next morning, Wesley and Lorne were convened in Buffy and Angel's office. Connor was sitting on the couch reading a magazine. "Maybe we made a mistake coming here." Angel said just as Fred and Gunn walked in.

"What's going on?" Gunn asked.

"Oh, parasite Eve, right on out the door." Lorne said.

"You're firing her?"

"Well, that's one option." Angel said.

"A generous one, considering she tried to kill you." Wesley said.

"I voted to kill her, but that was overruled." Buffy added.

"Ok, first, the parasite she allegedly sicced on you wasn't meant to be fatal…." Gunn started.

"No, just send him into a permanent hallucinogenic coma. And what's with the 'alleged'? You don't believe it was her?"

"It's not about what I believe. It's about the evidence."

"This isn't a courtroom, Gunn." Wesley said. "Things work with a bit more immediacy in the real world."  
"She's liaison to the senior partners. You don't get to be that without serious juice. Move against her without solid proof and it could end in a long, bloody fight."

"Ok, fine." Angel sighed. "I think I liked you better when you just wanted to hit people."

"Rational thought…. it's an acquired taste."

"Wait a minute." Lorne said. "So, we're not going to snap Twiggy into little sticks?"

Buffy gestured at Lorne emphatically, happy to have him on her side. Angel chuckled at her. "Gunn's right. We can't risk it." Buffy's face fell. "Yet." That made her smile again.

"We'll restrict her access, keep a closer eye on what she's up to." Gunn said. "Play her like she's been playing us."

Harmony rushed into the office. "Boss, we just got a tip some looney's hatched from the bin."

"A who did a what?" Angel asked.

"A girl over in the nuthouse went all Cuckoo's Nest, hacked up a couple of guards and went over the wall."

"Really not our department, Harmony."

"Notify the authorities." Wesley said. "Make sure they're on it."

"Ok, but they better bring a priest." Harmony turned back to the door. "Looks like this chick's gone all kinds of Exorcist."  
"She's possessed?" Buffy asked.

"Duh! Didn't I say that?"

"No. You didn't."

"I'll get a team together." Wesley offered.

"No. Wait." Angel said. "I don't want to go storming in with troops until we know what we got here. I've seen a few of these possession cases. They have to be handled very carefully. Real finesse job."

"So I guess I'll go." Buffy stood up, grinning at Angel's shocked face. "I'll go change into a more possession fighting outfit in case there's split-pea soup happening."

* * *

Buffy, Angel, and Connor stepped off the elevator and looked at the person stepping off the other one. "Oh." Spike said. "Well, fancy this."

"What are you doing here, Spike?" Buffy asked.

"Didn't get the memo? Hero of the people now."

"Oh, then go and annoy them." Angel muttered.

"When I'm done. Heard one of the simples went for a stroll."

"How'd you hear that?" Buffy asked.

"Grapevine, love."

"Look, shouldn't you be out in the streets, you know, protecting the city from people like you?" Connor asked.

"Go where I'm needed."

"Which isn't here."

"Guys, he's here." Buffy said. "Let him help if he can." She stepped up to the nurse's station and gave the woman there a smile. "Hi. Is there a doctor here we can speak to?"

A man walked out from an office near the desk. "Can I help you?"

"Other way around, doc." Spike started. "I'm…."

"Hi, my name's Buffy. This is Angel, Connor, and that's Spike. We're here to get your patient back."  
Angel handed the doctor a card and the doctor looked at it in surprise. "Lawyers? I already told the police everything I know."

"Can we go over it again? Just in case you left out any details."

"What she said." Spike said. "But with a bit more of a threat at the end."

"Spike…." Buffy warned.

The doctor looked at them for a moment and then sighed. "Follow me." He led them into one of the patient rooms. The place was covered in bright, vibrant, and disturbed drawings. With every drawing Buffy studied, she was starting to have a sinking feeling in her gut that she knew what was wrong with Dana. "She was a special case." The doctor said. "Her family was murdered in their home when she was 10. Whoever did it took Dana and tortured her for months. She was found one day naked and bleeding, wandering the streets. Barely functional, nearly catatonic ever since."

"Looks like she snapped out of it." Connor said.

"Several months ago her condition changed. Increasing levels of agitation accompanied by explosive outbursts of inhuman strength."

"Right. Demon possession." Spike said.

"That's ridiculous."

"You're not helping, Spike." Angel growled.

"No, I'm doing. You can hang out for the show-and-tell-me-nothing. I got a demon needs repossessing." Spike yanked one of the drawings off the wall and walked out.

"Sorry." Angel said to the doctor. "He's…. is pathological idiot an actual condition?"

"May I suggest that you stop your friend?" The doctor said. "If he finds Dana, he's gonna end up dead like the others."

"Yeah, but he'll just end up comin' back." The doctor shook his head at Angel and walked out. "What isn't he tellin' me?"

"Rabinaw videoed all his sessions with her." The nurse said from the doorway.

"Show us." Angel and Connor started to walk out, but Buffy was staring at a drawing of a girl in a white dress and black jacket. "Buffy?"

"This is me." Buffy said.

"What?" Angel walked over and looked at the drawing. The girl in the picture definitely could be Buffy.

She pointed to another drawing. "This is Lucy Hanover. She was killed in 1866." She pointed to yet another drawing. "Abigail Cole, killed in 1627." And three more drawings. "Belle Malone in 1890. Dotty Kessler in 1927. Arabella Gish in 1914." She stopped at the one next to the drawing of herself. "India Cohen. May 1996." Buffy turned to the nurse. "How many months ago did this start?"

"It started around May, so about eight months ago." The nurse said.

The Slayer looked at Angel. "Oh." He said.

"Yeah. We don't need to see those tapes. Thanks for your time." Buffy walked out past the nurse and headed for the elevators.

Angel and Connor rushed to keep up. "What's wrong?" Connor asked. "How did you know who those drawings are?"

"She's a Slayer." Angel said.

"Spike's going to get himself killed." Buffy said as she pulled out her cell phone.

"Wyndam-Pryce." Wesley answered.

"Hey Wes, can you check with our police informants and get Dana's last known sighting? I may need a non-lethal assault team as backup."

"Do you think that's wise? I've been brushing up on demonic possessions…."

"She's not a demon, Wes. She's a Slayer."

"Good lord! I'll…. Get working on it now."

* * *

Buffy, Angel, Connor and Spike walked off the elevator into the lobby at Wolfram and Hart. When they had pulled up to the warehouse where Dana had been hiding, Spike had been thrown out of the window. She'd been gone by the time Buffy and Connor had gone in.

"A psychotic vampire slayer." Spike said.

"How many times are you going to say that?" Connor snapped.

"Just tryin' to wrap my lobes around it. A psycho Slayer."

"And you let her get away." Angel griped.

"At least I was tryin' to stop her."

"Oh, how'd that work out?"

"At least I know the game, now, don't I? I killed two slayers with my own hands. Think I can handle one that's gone daft in the melon."

"You're not handling anything, Spike." Buffy said, stopping and spinning around. He backpaddled away to keep from running in to her. "Wesley contacted Giles. He's sending someone to retrieve her." She turned and marched into the conference room. Wesley, Gunn, Fred, and Lorne were already there.

"Buffy, we were just about to…." Wesley started.

"Oh god, no." Buffy said, spotting the man that Giles had sent.

Andrew's hair was longer and he was wearing a suit and tie and holding a pipe. His eyes bugged out of his head when he saw Spike. "Spike?"

"Oh, for the love of…." Spike groaned.

"Spike?" Andrew rushed at Spike, touching his shoulders before grabbing him in a tight hug and sobbing, "It's you. It's really you! My therapist thought I was holding onto false hope, but…. I knew you'd come back." Buffy and Connor exchanged amused glances. "You're like…. you're like Gandalf the White, resurrected from the pit of the Balrog, more beautiful than ever. Ohh! He's alive, Frodo! He's alive." Spike looked over at Buffy for help, but she just grinned at him. "Uh, so what happened? Last I heard, you went all pillar of fire down in the Hellmouth."

"Why did Giles send _you_?" Buffy asked.

"I'm a Watcher in training."

"He's got a long way to go." Xander said, entering the room just then. "Giles stuck him with me since I'm already one."

"Xander!" Buffy turned and gave her friend a hug. "You're a Watcher now?"

"Not like there's a lot to choose from."

"True."

"We were just about to bring everyone up to speed on Slayer mythology." Wesley said, bringing them back to the problem at hand.

"I'll take it from here, Pryce." Andrew piped up. "Best they hear it from an expert."

"Oh, right. Let the top man have a go." Spike said with a laugh.

"Let's not and say we did." Buffy said.

"Good call." Xander said. "Since everyone here knows the gist of the Slayer thing and our little Sunnydale surprise six months ago, we can skip that part. We've been tracking down the new Slayers and guiding them…."

"We've been giving them the full X-Men, minus the crappy third act." Andrew interjected.

"But Dana…." Xander looked at Buffy because he knew she was feeling incredibly guilty right now. "She's an anomaly that no one could have foreseen."

"Tortured, traumatized, driven insane by Yoda knows who."

"And then the dreams of demons and superpowers she's always had suddenly become real." Buffy said.

"The dreams of Slayers are usually just that…. dreams." Wesley said.

"They're not just dreams, Wes. Some of them can be, yeah, but I've dreamt of Slayers in the past. A couple of times I got a front row seat to potentials being murdered by Bringers. I've even dreamt of things that haven't happened yet. "

"Like when you dreamed Drusilla was back." Angel said.

"Exactly. Slayer dreams are real and Dana's mental instability is probably making them seem even more real and scarier."

"Explains why that skirt was yappin' at me in Chinese." Spike said. "Must've thought she was the Slayer I took out back in the Boxer Rebellion."

"You mean the Slayer you murdered." Buffy snapped at him.

"Well, I didn't have a soul back then, did I?"

Buffy sighed. "Sorry. This isn't a great day for me."

"The boy's right, love. You couldn't have known about this girl when you came up with the most brilliant battle plan in the history of battle plans."

"Speaking of battle plans, Buffy, I think you're definitely the one on point here." Angel said. "Spike and I are the last two people that should be confronting her. She has every reason to hate us and she's unstable. In her mind, there probably aren't any good vampires. She exists for one reason: to destroy creatures like us."

"Not all Slayers are like that, mate."

Angel looked fondly at Buffy. "No, not all of them."

"Well, she's always been a little bit weird." Xander said. "Running off and marrying the big guy without telling anyone? Really Buff?"

"It was an empath demon deprived of sleep!" Buffy protested.

"That's always your excuse."

"I promise when we decide to have an actual wedding someday, you'll be invited to that one." Buffy said. "Ok, so we need to find Dana. What's the plan for getting her to Giles?"

"I've got four Slayers hanging out at the Hyperion ready to assist."

"I think this is something I need to do alone." Xander started to protest, but the petite Slayer held up her hand. "Backup can be waiting outside for my signal, but Dana is my responsibility, ok? It's because of me that she's out there killing people."

"Buffy, don't be so hard on yourself." Fred said. "You couldn't have known."  
"No, I couldn't, but she's still my responsibility. So, let's find her so I can help her."

* * *

Angel walked out of the conference room and went searching for Buffy. Harmony pointed at their office. He nodded at her and walked in. Buffy was standing at the window looking out at the city.

"Hey."

Buffy glanced back at him. "Hey."  
He walked over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his chin against the top of her head. "You ok?"

"I'm just…. Thinking."

"About Dana?"

She sighed. "Yes and no." Buffy gently moved away from Angel and sat down on the arm of the couch. "I did this to her. And not just to her. To hundreds, maybe thousands of girls out there."

"You did an amazing thing, Buffy. You changed the world for the better."

"I'm not in doubt about that."

"Then what are you in doubt about?"

"Aren't those girls just as much my responsibility as Dana is? Shouldn't I be helping them, too? I just made them and then abandoned them."

"You didn't abandon them." Buffy started to protest, but Angel cut her off. "I know that you're sending a big chunk of your paycheck to Willow to help her and the others get the new Watcher's Council set up."

"And here I thought I was being sneaky."

"You were, but Harmony messed up the address and it got sent back. I just happened to get the mail that day and I corrected the address."

"You've never said."

Angel shrugged. "Neither did you."

"I didn't want to make it a big deal."  
"Is the money not enough now?"

"I don't know. I actually like what we're doing here. It's important. And I love being here with you and Connor and everyone else. We have a good life together."

"Buffy," Angel walked over and gently gripped her shoulders. "You chose to make your own path. You chose to be happy for once in your life. You shouldn't feel guilty for that."

"What if I want to do more than just send some money?"

There was a knock on the door and Lorne stuck his head in. "Don't mean to interrupt, but I've had an idea I wanted to run by you." He stepped into the office when Buffy nodded. "The witnesses say it's like Dana's looking for something. I think we should start at the source."

"The asylum?" Angel asked.

"No. Where this started for her. She was abducted from home. Right?"

"That was over 15 years ago."

"Houses have long memories, Angel cakes. You just gotta know how to get them to talk."

"That's good. Yeah. Set it up." Buffy said.

* * *

Buffy, Angel, Lorne, and Lorne's psychic followed the realtor through a middle-sized suburban house. She was rattling on about hardwood floors and central air. The psychic was ignoring the realtor as he touched the walls and railings.

"The walls scream with the blood of the innocent." He said.

The realtor looked at him in shock. "Uh…. I'll be in the car if you have any questions. And remember: it's a seller's market."

"You sure this guy's reliable?" Angel asked Lorne.

"Oh, yeah. Vernon's top drawer." Lorne said. "He does all Tom Arnold's readings."

"Are you getting anything?" Buffy asked Vernon.

"Fear." Vernon said. "Anguish. Pain. He needed them to suffer."

"Who?"

"She doesn't know him. She tries to be still…. invisible…. but he senses her. She's gone."  
"Where did he take her?"

"Dark. The floor is cold. The air is thick with…. Dust…. And the smell…. sickly sweet, like…. molasses. A basement. That's where her pain lives."

* * *

Connor met Buffy, Angel, and Lorne as they got off the elevator. "Hey. How'd it go?"

Buffy spotted Gunn walking up behind Connor. "Can we find the guy who killed Dana's family? His name, his past, his whereabouts…. Everything."

"Police never caught him." Gunn said.

"We're not the police. Search her files, talk to her contacts, raise the dead if you have to. Just…. find him." Buffy turned to Lorne as Gunn walked off. "I need to know where he took her after he abducted her. The psychic narrowed it down to a basement that smells like molasses. We can do better."

"You got it." Lorne said, rushing off to find his assistant.

Xander stepped out of the conference room. "Spike and Andrew ran off somewhere."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.

"Spike started moaning about not having anything to do and next thing we know, he's gone."

"And Andrew followed him." Buffy said.

"Why would Andrew do that?" Angel asked.

"Andy has the hots for Willy." Buffy and Angel blinked at Xander and Xander turned bright red. "Sorry. Well, if Spike finds her before us, he'll end up staked and Andrew will end up the cannon fodder he was meant to be."

"That was a bit harsh." Buffy scolded.

"Sorry. You haven't been travelling with him for the last two weeks."

"Fair enough. Let's hope that he's at least smart enough to stay out of the way if they run into Dana." The group headed for the conference room. Twenty minutes later, Gunn came in and headed straight for the map.

"What do you got?" Angel asked.

Gunn pointed to the map. "Tactical found the body here: Fourth and Camden."

Buffy nodded. "She's staying in the area. Can we get aerial surveillance and thermal imaging? They can go block to block in a 5-mile radius."

"What exactly are they looking for, Buff? I mean, this is an industrial area. Most of the buildings have a basement of some sort."  
"Lorne, any luck with the psychics on this place?" Angel asked.

"No. Nothing new. It's still cold, creepy, and smells like molasses."

"What about…." Wesley started, but stopped with a chuckle.

"I'll take anything." Buffy said. "Even the chuckle-worthy places."  
"I almost said the words 'molasses factory' out loud."

"Whiskey!" Fred suddenly said, standing up.

"Oh, god bless you, kitten." Lorne said. "I was just about to suggest the same thing."

"No. I mean, when you're cooking up whiskey, it makes the whole room smell like molasses."

"Look for a distillery." Angel said. "Get maps from 10 years ago. Maybe it's…."  
"Andrew." Fred said, cutting Angel off and pointing at the door.

Andrew was walking in, his face was beaten and bloody. "We were attacked. I think she got him. I think she got Spike."

Buffy grabbed her coat. "Where?"

* * *

Buffy made her way slowly into the warehouse. The scent of blood was almost overpowering. Angel, Connor, Xander, and tactical were waiting outside. Buffy had insisted on going alone to get Dana.

"You killed them both." Dana said.

"That and worse." Spike groaned. "But I was never here."  
The blonde Slayer rounded the corner to see Dana punching Spike over and over. "Doesn't matter! Head and heart. Keep cutting till you see dust." Buffy grabbed Dana and pulled her away as she grabbed a bone saw.  
Dana wheeled on Buffy and glared at her. "Dana, I'm here to help you, ok? Do you know who I am?"

Dana cocked her head at Buffy. "Dead like the rest."

"No. I'm not dead. Not at the moment, anyway." Buffy kept her hands up as she took a step forward. She glanced at Spike on the floor. He was chained to a post and he was missing both of his arms from mid-forearm down. "The man who hurt you was named Walter Kindel. He tried to rob a liquor store five years ago and the police shot him. He's dead, Dana. He can't hurt you anymore."

"Can't hurt me. Not weak anymore."  
"No. You're not weak."

"Strong. Slayer."  
"Like me."

Dana cocked her head again and snarled, "Vampire."

Buffy pointed at herself in confusion. "Me?" Suddenly, Dana charged at Buffy, trying to kick her in the chest. Buffy easily blocked it and the next few hits that were directed at her way. "Dana, stop!" The dark headed Slayer actually did stop. "I'm not a vampire. You can hear my heart beating."

"You smell like one."

"Well, that's just a repercussion of being married to a vampire with a soul. And keep your nose to yourself!"

"Married?"

"The world is so much different now, Dana. You're not the only Slayer." She took a cautious step forward. "Six months ago, my friend Willow did a spell and changed the potential Slayers into actual Slayers." Buffy took another step. "You were a potential and now you're like me and thousands of other girls out there." Another step and she was right in front of Dana. "You're special."  
"Slayer."

"Yes." Buffy held her hand out. "Can I take you to the other girls that are like you? They'll take you someplace safe with them. You'll be surrounded by girls like you."

Dana stared at Buffy's hand and glanced at her face a couple of times. Finally, she took Buffy's hand. "You'll be happy with them. They'll take care of you." She wrapped her arm around Dana and led her outside. The girl tensed when Angel and Connor walked up to them. "It's ok. He's a good vampire. His name is Angel and that's his son Connor."

"Married?"

"Yes." Buffy looked up at Angel. "Get the med team in there. Spike's pretty bad." She led Dana over to one of the ambulances. "Can they look you over? Make sure you're ok?" The girl spotted the needle one of the paramedics was holding and she started to panic. Buffy tightened her grip on Dana to comfort her and keep her from bolting. "It's ok. It's ok. You don't have to. They just want to make sure you're not hurt or sick. They won't use the needles if you don't want them to, ok?" Dana looked hesitant. "I won't leave you."

Xander walked up to the ambulance a few minutes later. Buffy was sitting with Dana, holding her hand, as the medics checked her over. "Hey Buff. Good work."

"Thanks."

"Dana, I'm Xander Harris. I'm a with the New Watcher's Council."

"You've got to find a better name." Buffy insisted.

Xander chuckled. "I'm going to take you with me to meet the other Slayers." He reached out to take her hand, but Dana yanked away from him and clung to Buffy. "Uh…."

"She doesn't trust you."

"I'm not one of the girls." Xander took a breath and looked at Dana for a long moment. "Buff, I think you need to come with us."

Buffy looked at Dana firmly tucked under her arm. "Seems like it."

* * *

Angel walked into Spike's medical room. His newly reattached arms were bandaged tightly. Spike was sitting up in his bed and sighed when he saw Angel. "Come to tap-dance on the patient, have we, doc? I'd give you the finger, but apparently I won't have the motor skills till the drugs wear off."

"A lot of pain?" Angel asked.

"More than I'd like, but not as much as you would. Just what I deserve."

"I didn't say that."

"No. I did. The lass thought I killed her family. And I'm supposed to what, complain cause hers wasn't one of the hundreds of families I did kill? I'm not saying you're right…. Cause, uh…. I'm physically incapable of saying that. But, uh…. for a demon, I never did think that much about the nature of evil. No. Just threw myself in. Thought it was a party. I liked the rush. I liked the crunch. Never did look back at the victims."

"I couldn't take my eyes off them. I was only in it for the evil. It was everything to me. It was art. The destruction of a human being. I would've considered Dana a masterpiece."

"What happens to her?"

"I don't know. Buffy left with Xander to take Dana to England. Connor went with her."

"She was good with the bird."

"Yeah."

"The tingling in my forearms tells me that bird's too far gone to help. She's one of us now. She's a monster."

"She's an innocent victim."

"So were we…. Once upon a time."

Angel nodded, hoping that Spike was wrong about Dana. "Once upon a time."


	19. You're Welcome (NEW)

Buffy and Connor walked into the lobby from the elevators. Harmony waved at them, welcoming them back, and told them that everyone was in the office. The door was open and they walked in to find Angel sitting on the edge of the desk talking to Fred, Gunn, Wesley, and Lorne.

"There's nothing more to discuss. I'm resigning." Angel said.

"Gee, it seems like a ripe topic for discussion to me." Lorne said.

"What happened last night was tragic." Wesley insisted. "It's a terrible setback, but…."

"Setback, Wes?" Angel scoffed. "It's status quo." Clearly no one had realized that Buffy and Connor had walked in. They exchanged confused glances. "Evil wins, cause instead of just wiping it out, we negotiate with it. Or worse…. For it."

"Angel, we're doing the best we can." Fred said.

"It's not that you guys aren't doing your jobs. It's that we shouldn't be doing these jobs in the first place…. or I shouldn't. And clearly Buffy doesn't want to because she's…."

"She's what?" Buffy asked, making everyone in the room jump.

"You're back!"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Our conversation before you left, I thought…. Well, I thought you were done with this place. And you sounded really happy while you were over there."  
"It was great to see my friends again and to help with my Slayers, yeah, but I signed a couple of legally binding contracts and I was always planning to come back."

"Clearly Buffy has thought about what would happen to us if we tried to say bye-bye." Gunn said. Buffy nodded her agreement.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.

"The ramifications. You think the Senior Partners are just gonna let us breeze on out the front door?"

"You're saying we're trapped here?" Fred asked.

"I'm saying we knew what we were getting into when we signed up for this gig. Let's not start pretending that this was some lease with an option to buy."

"Gunn, you really think they won't let us out?" Angel asked. "Or is it that you just don't want to leave?"

"Ok. Maybe I don't. It's cause I believe in what we're doing. We made the right call."

"And I'm sure that legal brain upgrade they gave you has got nothing to do with…."

"We all got something out of this."

"He's right, Angel. I had some time to think about everything while Connor and I were helping in England." Buffy said. "We're meant to be here. We're doing real good. It may not be the old smash and crash way we're used to, but I don't regret my decision to come here with you."

Before anyone could say anything, the desk phone rang. Angel sighed and picked up the phone. "Yeah. It's Angel. What?"

Buffy moved to Angel's side suddenly, sensing the change in his demeanor. "What is it?"

"It's Cordelia."

* * *

Buffy paced in the office while Connor sat on the couch watching her. The two of them had opted out of joining Angel and Wesley in going to the hospital. They hadn't known if they should or not. Angel had insisted that it would be fine, but neither of them could bring themselves to go.

This was the real Cordelia. The thing that had possessed her was long dead. This was the Cordelia that Angel had had feelings for. They had almost started a relationship. She had no idea how Cordelia would react to her and Angel being together again, let alone married. Connor was nervous about seeing Cordelia again. He didn't know if she remembered everything that had happened. What if she did? How would she react to him?

Lorne, Gunn, and Fred were waiting in the joined conference room. The nervous energy coming off Buffy and Connor was making them edgy. Fred finally walked over and grabbed Buffy's arms.

"Please stop!" She cried.

"I'm sorry." Buffy sighed. "I'm just…."

"Nervous. I know."

"They almost had a relationship, Fred. He cares for her so much. And you didn't know her back in high school, but she's always been competitive with me. Distance between us made it easier, but now…. And after…."

Fred gave Buffy a reassuring smile. "Angel loves you, Buffy. I promise you that she will be happy for you guys."

"It's true." Lorne said, walking over with Gunn. "I can read the big guy like a book these days and he doesn't even need to sing out loud. His soul is singing loud and proud and it's only crooning your name, strudel."

"Lorne!" Cordelia's voice came from the doorway of the office.

Lorne turned around and smiled at Cordelia. "Are you huggable?"

"It is so good to see…. Oh, my God. Gunn? You have hair."

"Oh…. Ha! Yeah." Gunn said, rubbing his head slightly. "What did you think? I was prematurely bald?" Cordelia didn't say anything. "I wasn't." He hugged her tightly.

Angel walked over and wrapped his arm around Buffy's waist, kissing the side of her head.  
"Oh! Hey, Fred." Cordelia said.

"Hi, Cordy." Fred hugged her friend tightly.

Cordelia turned and looked in surprise at Buffy standing there with Angel's arm around her and Connor standing next to them. "Buffy?"

"Hi." Buffy said.

"Uh…. What are you doing here? And wrapped around Angel?"

"You didn't tell her?" Connor asked.

"Uh, no." Angel looked at his wife and son sheepishly. "We didn't get a chance to."

"Buffy's co-CEO with Angel." Wesley explained.

"And they're together again." Cordelia filled in.

"Married, actually." Gunn said.

"I'm sorry, what?"  
Suddenly an ear-piercing shriek worthy of a tweeny bopper cut through the room. "Oh, my God!" Harmony ran up to Cordelia and hugged her tightly. "I can't believe you're here!"

"Likewise." Cordelia said, disengaging herself from Harmony. "Especially since the last time I saw you, you tried to kill me."

"Um, Harmony, she's…. Actually, she…." Angel stuttered.

"She's our secretary." Buffy said.

"Oh. Well, things just keep getting better and better." Cordelia said, eying Buffy slightly.

"I know. You and me together again!" Harmony squealed. "So, how was the coma?"

"Harmony, I think Cordy's had enough excitement for the day." Buffy said. "Why doesn't everybody get back to work?"

"Great to see you." Gunn said as he walked out.

Fred followed him out with a little wave. "Bye."

"We'll talk later." Harmony said before she walked out.

"Hey, listen, crumbcake," Lorne said from the doorway. "When you're ready to splash back into that acting pool, just say the word. I'll have you lunching with Colin Farrell like that."

"Who's Colin Farrell?" Cordelia asked.

"An actor." Buffy filled in. "Irish and hot." Angel cleared his throat and Buffy rolled her eyes. "Not as hot as you are."

"How are you two married? Or go further back, how are you even together?"

"You remember what happened with Angelus?" Angel asked.

Cordelia nodded. "Yeah. Buffy came and helped out. And Willow was there, too, right?"

"Right." Buffy said.

"Well, Willow changed the restoration spell." Angel said. "My soul…. It's permanent."

"Oh." Buffy didn't miss the slightly disappointed look on Cordelia's face, but she covered it quickly and smiled. "So, you two just skipped a relationship and went straight to marriage?"

"That's a long story." Buffy said. "We didn't intend to get married, it just…."

"Happened." Angel said.

"And we just kind of…."

"Went with it."

"Uh huh…." Cordelia said, looking between them uncertainly.

"Cordy, I know there's a lot to take in…. A lot of changes," Angel said. "But I promise you…. Things are working out. Not just with my personal life, but here, too."

"Really?" Cordelia and Buffy said at the same time.

"Well, yeah." He looked between them and realized he and Buffy hadn't finished the conversation they'd started before the call about Cordelia came. He sighed and said, "With these resources, there's nothing we can't do, no one we can't save."

"Except maybe yourself."

"What?"

"I had a vision from the you-know-what that be. That's what woke me up. And you know something? When higher powers send you coma visions, you'd better pay attention."

"What did you see?"

"You. In trouble. Also, these weird symbols. Glyphs, I guess. On a wall…. and on flesh. A tattoo, and…. There's a woman behind you."

"You saw a woman in your vision?"

"No, lunkhead, right now."

Buffy rolled her eyes, knowing exactly who it was there. "You weren't home upstairs." Eve said as they turned around. "Didn't think you'd mind me using your private elevator."

"Eve, I mind you breathing." Buffy growled. "Get out."

"Yeah, sure. Except I'm here to convey the Partners concern. A little issue of Angel letting a client skip out of our dimension. Dead nuns we can deal with, but the firm's out 10 million in bail costs. I ask you, is that any way to run a business? Who's your friend, Angel?"

"I'm Cordelia Chase." Cordy said.  
"Oh. My name is…."

"I didn't ask."  
"Right. Cordelia Chase. Oh, yeah. Angel's mentioned you only a couple of times, I think."

"Didn't we tell security not to let you in this building?" Buffy asked.

"Sweetie, I'm liaison to the Senior Partners. You honestly think you have any control over my comings and goings?"

"I do actually." Buffy took a threatening step forward. "You keep trying to seduce my husband and since he keeps turning you down, you tried to kill him. I'm pretty sure that gives me plenty of control over forcefully removing you from this building by your stringy hair. Whether your head is attached to your body while I'm doing it is up for debate."

Eve hadn't seen Buffy this hostile and knew the woman had the power to really do some damage to her. She rolled her eyes and walked towards the door. "We'll talk business later."  
Buffy followed her to the doorway. "Harmony, I want security keeping tabs on that vapid hussy while she's in the building."

"Got it, bossy!" Harmony grinned at Buffy. "Do you want me to take care of her if she makes one more wrong move?"

"You can have her brought to me. I don't care if you do damage to her in between."

"You're the best!"

Buffy turned and saw Cordelia looking appalled at the interaction she just witnessed. "She tried to kill Angel? Is that the kind of person you guys do business with now?" Cordelia asked. "Do you realize what's happening? You've made a deal with the devil."

"Oh, come on, Cordy." Angel said. "You're being a little overdramatic. It's not that, uh…."

A red-skinned demon with black hair, horns, and a goatee walked up to Angel. "I gotta go. Everything's in place. They'll draw up the paperwork."

Angel shook the demon's hand. "Good. Great."

"Racquetball Thursday?"

"Ok, then."

"Who was that?" Buffy asked.

"Uh, Izzy."

"What paperwork?"  
"I'll tell you about it later." Buffy lifted her eyebrow at him. "It was while you were gone."

"Since when do you play racquetball?"

"I'm learning."

"Look, Connor and I need to get unpacked. We'll take Cordy upstairs and get her settled. Catch her up on…. Everything. You finish and come join us later."

"You sure? You were kind of nervous…."

"Yeah. I'm sure." Buffy reached up and kissed her husband lightly. She started to walk away, but he grabbed her hand.

"Hey…. I love you."

Buffy smiled. "I love you, too." She kissed him gently again and walked back into the office. Connor was standing by the elevator ready to bolt. "Cordy, would you like to go upstairs and see our apartment?"

"Uh…." Cordelia looked at Angel uncertainly for a moment.

"My closet is full of designer everything."

Cordy grinned and moved to follow Buffy. "Say no more!"

* * *

Buffy stepped out of her bedroom in jeans, socks, and a red tank top. She was pulling her long, blonde hair up into a high ponytail. Cordelia was sitting on the couch looking out the window at the view. Connor had retreated to his room. Buffy could hear him playing video games.

"He's turned into a typical teenager." Buffy said.

"I've noticed." Cordelia said. She sighed and looked at the door. "He hasn't said two words to me."  
"He's scared to talk to you. After everything that happened to him, I can't blame him."

"It wasn't me."

"I know it wasn't." Buffy sat down. "I've had the most practice at telling when someone's evil or not."

"Right. You were the one that knew about me not being me."

"He knows it wasn't you, too."

Cordelia nodded and looked around the living room for a minute before settling on Buffy. "Um…. So, I guess by your nervousness that you know about me and Angel."

"Yeah."

"He and I…. We didn't…."

"I know."

"Can I talk?"

"Sorry."

"Look, he and I…. We never got started, so it's not fair of me to feel jealous. And I've always known that if his soul ever became permanent…. It wouldn't be me that he ran to. He's always loved you more than life itself. I never stood a chance." Cordelia smiled slightly. "He actually looks happier than I've ever seen him. I swear I've seen him smile more in the last few hours than I have since I've known him." Buffy laughed slightly, nodding her agreement. "Just because I have some pangs of jealousy, I don't want you two to feel so nervous around me, ok?"

"Ok."

"So, will you tell me about the wedding?"

"There wasn't one, actually. It was just getting the paperwork and signing it and a justice of the peace declaring us man and wife."

"How are you guys even legal? He doesn't exist!"

"I have no idea, honestly. Apparently, it happens more often than you'd think. I looked into it after Gunn mentioned that he had done it for a client of his. One of Wolfram and Hart's specialties is marriages like ours."

"Weird."

"Yes, it is."

"So, you two just decided to get hitched?"

"It was my fault." Connor said from his doorway. "I made them nervous because I told Buffy she and dad should just get married because wife is a stronger title than girlfriend. Eve was hitting on dad…. again. They were talking about the whole marriage thing when Lorne overheard them."

"Lorne had his sleep removed and apparently that's a big no-no for empath demons." Buffy said. "He told you to do something and you did it."  
"Gunn peed all over the place to mark his territory." Connor sat down beside Buffy.

"That's gross. So, Lorne told you and Angel to get married?" Cordelia asked.

"Yeah." Buffy said. "It was weird. After everything had worn off, we decided to just leave it alone."

"Is that when you signed on to Evil Inc?"

"Oh, no. I signed on a couple of months before." Buffy sighed. "I guess we should start from your coma, huh?"

* * *

Angel found them a few hours later watching the tape of a promotional spot Cordelia and Doyle had made in the early days of Angel Investigations. The three of them were smiling and laughing. He watched them for a long moment before turning his attention to the video.

" _If you need help, then look no further. Angel Investigations is the best. Our rats are low…."_

" _Rates." Cordelia corrected._

" _It says rats. Our rates are low, but our standards are high. When the chips are down, and you're at the end of your rope, you need someone that you can count on, and that's what you'll find here, someone who will go all the way, who'll protect you no matter what. So don't lose hope."_

Buffy spotted Angel standing there. "Hey."

He smiled at her. "Hey."

"Come join us." She scooted over to give him some room and he settled in next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We were just trading stories and catching up."

Angel looked at the TV. "Been a long while since I've seen that."

"The first soldier down." Cordelia said.

"Yeah."

"Doyle pissed me off so righteously going out like that, but he knew. He knew what he had to do. Didn't compromise. Used his last breath to make sure you'd keep fighting. I get that now."

"Cordy…." Angel sighed. "There are reasons we agreed to take over Wolfram & Hart, reasons you don't understand."

"Buffy and Connor filled me in on everything I've missed, so I've got the gist. I can't believe Sunnydale is completely gone."

"It was…. pretty crazy."

Buffy's phone started trilling from the bedroom and she excused herself to go answer it. Connor said he wanted to call Nina and let her know he was back, so he went to his room and closed the door. Angel turned to Cordelia and knew that look she was giving him.

"I'm worried about you, Angel." She said.

"Why?"

"This place! I know your reasons why you took it, but I still think you were seduced. And you brought Buffy and your son in on the seduction!"

"We're doing fine here. We've done some great work…."

"Don't give me that, 'everything's fine here' company line. I'm not buying it. Neither are you. And neither are the Powers That Be. Why do you think they woke me up? Gave me that vision? They know you slipped the track, and they want me to help put you back on it."

Angel sighed. "You're probably wrong about the Powers. They seem to have picked Spike as their new champion."

"Spike? Spike who?"

"Spike. He's got a soul now. And he saved the world. And now he's out there on the streets helping the helpless."

"Ok, Spike's a hero, and you're married and co-C.E.O. of Hell, Incorporated. What freakin' bizarro world did I wake up in?"

"I'm sorry."

"I naturally assumed you'd be lost without me, but this? I'm starting to think the celibate life was better for you. Now that you're finally getting some on a regular basis, you've forgotten who you are."  
"That's not…." Angel shook his head. "Who do you think I am?"

"I don't know anymore! All I know is who you _were_. A guy who always fought his hardest for what was right, even when he couldn't remember why. Even when he was miserable, which was, let's face it, a not small portion of the time. He did right. And that gave him something. A light, a glimmer. That's the guy I fell in…." Cordelia stopped herself and glanced at the bedroom door. "That, um…. the guy I knew. I see him around here, then maybe I'll start believing."

"Let me know if you do. I'll probably run from him." Angel looked at the picture sitting on the side table and smiled. "He was miserable. I like who I am with her now."

Cordy glanced at the bedroom door again. "She really does make you happy."

"She really does. I honestly never believed I deserved happiness, but she's working very hard to change my mind."

"Do you ever wonder…." Cordy trailed off.

"What?"  
"Do you ever think about if we'd met up that night and had a chance to…."

"Cordy…."

"Guess we missed our moment, huh?"

Buffy walked back in just then. "That was Willow. She wanted to make sure Connor and I made it back ok and she says welcome back, Cordy. What did I miss?"

"Cordy panicking that we've been seduced." Angel said with a grin.

"I'm not gonna lie…." Buffy sat down next to Angel. "The perks are pretty sweet. You saw my closet."

"I almost fainted." Cordy said.

"But we really are doing good work here. The resources we have at our disposal are like nothing we've ever had before. Sure, some of the demons are evil, but we're working on that, too. Not that long ago we actually negotiated a clan of Magneposet demon monks to stop their ritual sacrifices of teenage virgins. They started using goats, instead, but at least the sacrifices aren't to an _active_ demon god that can come back and end the world. That particular demon was taken out by a Slayer in 1628."  
"Oh." Cordelia said, wide eyed.

"I feel kind of bad for the goats, but I would rather goats be killed for nothing than teenagers."

"Right."

"Speaking of resources," Buffy turned to Angel. "Willow and Xander are interested in using ours for the new Watcher's Council. Remind me to speak with Gunn about that air tight contract for them. And I'll need Harmony to set up some conference calls between all of us to hash out those details."

"You're better at remembering these things than I am." Angel said.

"Well, two heads are better than one." Buffy smiled at him and he smiled back.

* * *

Angel sat on their bed watching Buffy wash her face. Her nightly ritual had quickly become one of his favorite things to watch her do. It was a sign of normalcy in their not-so-normal world and he cherished those moments with her. In those moments, he allowed the hope of becoming human with her one day to take over his thoughts.

She finally dabbed her face with a towel and turned off the light. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. "What was that for?" She asked with a laugh as he rolled them into bed.

"I missed you." Angel held her against him, his thumb stroking the curve of her hip.

"Mmm, I missed you, too." Buffy kissed him again, but gently pulled herself away.

"What's wrong?"

"As much as I've missed you and the direction you're steering us right now, I don't want to make Cordy any more uncomfortable than she already is."

"She's not…."

"Angel, I heard everything. I heard her almost admit she's in love with you. Enhanced hearing makes accidental eavesdropping easy." Buffy sighed. "Is she right, though?"

"About what?"

"About the fact that you're happy and that's made you lose sight of who you were?"

"She didn't say that."

"Don't play dumb."

Angel reached up and cupped her face gently. "She's dead wrong about that, Buffy. Fighting for what was right didn't give me that light she was talking about. _You've_ always been my light. You're the reason I fight."

"Poetic."

"But true. From the moment I saw you sitting on your high school steps until the day I turn to dust…." He smirked. "Or the day I stop breathing." That made her smile from ear to ear. "You're the reason I fight. I love Cordelia, but I'm not in love with her. That's always been you and always will be you."

Buffy smiled and pulled him to her, kissing him deeply.

* * *

Angel and Buffy walked side by side down the hallway discussing one of the meetings she'd missed while in London. She was looking down at the file in her hands, allowing Angel to steer her. Suddenly he let her go and was gone from her side. She looked up to see Spike in vamp face and Cordelia holding her neck. Angel had charged Spike and knocked him to the ground.

Spike got up and started to engage Angel, but Buffy grabbed the back of his coat and stopped him. He whirled on her but stopped when he realized it was her. "Did you bite Cordy?!"

"She's evil!" Spike cried.

"Excuse me?" Cordy snapped. "Who bit whom? I thought he had a soul!"

"I thought she didn't."

"I do."

"So do I."

"Well, clearly, mine's better."

"Look…." Spike moved towards Cordelia, but Buffy still held his coat.

"And you called this guy the big hero?" Cordelia asked Angel.

"You called me a hero?" Spike asked.

"I didn't know you were eating people." Angel defended.

Spike looked at Buffy. "Would you let me go?"

"Stop attacking people." Buffy ordered.

"It was a taste test! I needed to know if what my source said is true." Spike looked at Cordy. "And, actually, well, you don't taste evil. Demons are more astringent with a sort of oakie, really…."

"What source?"

"I've got a guy. Has an in with the Powers that whatsit. Gets these visions."

"Visions?" Angel asked.

"Yeah. Said Cordelia was taken over by some big bad and she came out of her coma to destroy you all."

"The thing that possessed Cordy's long dead, Spike." Buffy said. "You knew that."

"No I didn't. You just told me it was handled and Cordelia was in a coma. My source said she was back and still evil. Looks like tattoo boy was wrong this time."

"Wait. Tattoos? What kind of tattoos?" Cordelia asked.

"I don't know. Symbols. Tribal-like."

"This guy with the visions, did he have a name?" Angel asked.

"Called himself Doyle."

Angel and Cordelia froze, staring incredulously at Spike. Buffy's ears perked up when she heard Eve nearby. "No, he didn't kill her. She's still alive. Now they're talking. A lot."

Buffy handed the file to Spike and walked down the hallway. Eve was just hanging up her cellphone. "Can we have a word with you, Eve?"

"Now's really not a good time." Eve tried to back away, but Buffy grabbed her hair.

"Now's when it's happening, though." She drug her through the hallway with Angel, Cordelia, and Spike following. Angel and Cordelia quizzed Spike on the fake Doyle as they went. Gunn, Lorne, Fred, and Wesley each stopped what they were doing as the procession passed them to join the angry group. They made it to the CEO's office where Connor was just stepping off the elevator and Buffy tossed Eve into a chair.

"We've got a problem, Eve." Angel said.

"Damn right, you do. When I tell the Partners you assaulted me…."

"A couple weeks ago, a man approached Spike. Told him that the powers that be have some missions for him. Spike, braintrust that he is, went along with it."

"Hey!" Spike protested.

"He's the one who told Spike to save me from the parasite. The parasite you put on me in the first place."

"Not this again." Eve started to stand, but Buffy was suddenly behind her, yanking her back down into the chair.

"Get out of that chair and I will feed you those Manolo Blahniks." Buffy growled. Connor stifled a grin at Buffy finally getting to enact some revenge on Eve.

"Seems to me like you and this guy are working together."

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about." Eve said. "But you can't keep me here. I have to leave."

"But the thing that really, really pisses me off is that this guy seems to be going by the name of Doyle."

"Doesn't ring a bell."

"It does to me." Cordelia said, getting in Eve's face. "It rings a big frickin gong and I wanna know who has the nerve to be using that name."

"I'm gonna give you one chance to tell me where he is." Angel said.

"Look, I don't know what…." Eve was interrupted when Harmony walked into the office.

"Excuse me, bosses?"

"Not now, Harmony." Buffy said.

"Ok, but do I get the afternoon off, too?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Everybody's gone. The whole building cleared out a few minutes ago."

Angel looked down at the liaison. "What's going on, Eve?"

"I'll check it out." Gunn offered heading out of the office. He wasn't gone long. "I checked the server. A message went out. Code 7, right before the building emptied."  
"What's a code 7, Eve?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know." Eve insisted. Buffy stepped closer to her. "Seriously."

"Ok, this is getting us nowhere." Cordelia said. "Angel, torture her."

"What?" Angel asked.

"What?" Eve cried.

"You heard me." Cordelia said. "Building clearing out means we don't have a lot of time. Have at it."

"I can't just…. torture her." Angel said.

"He's right, Cordy." Fred agreed. "If we sink to their level…."

Harmony tackled Eve, knocking her into Buffy and Angel's desk. "Harmony!" Buffy yelled.

"Is this ok?" Harmony asked, grabbing Eve by her neck. "I mean, I am evil, technically. I don't mind torturing her for the team."

Buffy and Angel exchanged glances and then nodded. "Yeah. Ok." They said.

Harmony grinned and punched Eve in the face. "Come on, you hussy!" She backhanded her again. "Spill it!"

"Ok. Ok! Stop!" Eve cried. "It's a fail-safe. They built a fail-safe…." Harmony punched her in the face again.

"Ok, Harmony, she's talking." Buffy said.

"She is? Already?" Harmony sighed. "Well, that sucks."

"Look, the Senior Partners were never certain they could keep you under their thumb, so they created a fail-safe." Eve said. "Housed it in the sub-levels of the building."

"What kind of fail-safe?" Connor asked.

"I don't know what it is, exactly, but it's huge and alive…." Eve looked at Angel. "And specifically designed to destroy you."

"How can I stop it?" Angel asked.

"The only way to shut it down's in the chamber itself."

"Who activated it?" Buffy asked. "It definitely wasn't you. You were with us when the building cleared out. So, it has to be someone else."

"Someone with the ability to slip past Wolfram & Hart security systems." Wesley added.

"Like our magically tattooed faux Doyle?" Lorne asked.

"Spike, I don't wanna go in blind." Angel said. "Anything else you know about this guy?"

"Not much." Spike shrugged. "Average size. Dressed like an urban cowboy. Got his hand chopped off once."

"His hand?" Cordelia asked.

"He's back." Wesley said.

"Lindsey." Angel clarified.

"Who?" Buffy, Connor, and Fred asked.

"Lock the building down, make sure he can't get out. Don't trust security systems. He won't show up because of those tattoos of his."

"There could be a way to fix that." Wesley said. "I'll need some help."

"My dance card's free." Lorne said.

"Connor, go with them." Angel ordered.

"Sure, ok, but who is Lindsey?" Connor asked.

"A lawyer." Cordy said. "Wolfram & Hart's former golden boy, till he ran off to go find himself."  
"Yeah, he should've stayed lost." Angel turned to his secretary. "Harmony, guard Eve. She moves, eat her."

"Really?" Harmony grinned. "Thanks."

"Angel, you know you're not going down there alone, right?" Buffy asked.  
"The fail-safe's meant for me." Angel argued. "I'm not gonna risk anybody I care about."

"I'll go." Spike offered.

"Ok."

"Angel…." Buffy started.

"He volunteered!"  
"Goody for him, but I'm coming, too."

"Buffy…."

"Till death do us part, right? I'm just making sure that it's not today." She turned to Connor. "Be ready to evacuate. If this thing gets past us, get them and you the hell out of the building."

"You got it, Buffy." Connor said, tossing her a sword off the wall.

"Toss me one, too." Cordelia said.

"No, no." Angel protested. "Cordy…."

"Yeah, save it, Angel. You can order me around all you want, but I know my rights. And I wanna see a lawyer."

* * *

Spike, Cordelia, Buffy, and Angel walked down the basement steps into a room guarded by a net of green laser beams. "What the bloody hell is this?" Spike asked.

"Let's find out." Angel moved forward a few steps into the laser net. An alarm sounded and doors unlocked. Shambling forms came out from behind walls that suddenly opened around them.

"Yay! Zombies." Buffy said sarcastically as the dead attacked. "I miss my scythe."

"You just had to let them take it to London." Spike said.

"I think I'm going to go get it after this is over."

"We don't have time for this." Angel growled.

"Go on. I'll hold them back." Spike offered.

Buffy looked at Spike gratefully as she, Angel, and Cordelia ran off. They made their way down a hallway and into a large room. There was a huge tank rising from the floor and Lindsey was walking down the stairs from a control panel. He hadn't seen them enter.

"Bye-bye, Angel." Lindsey said, patting the side of the tank.

"Hello, Lindsey." Angel said.

Lindsey grinned at them. "And the hero arrives right on schedule. And with the missus and the one that got away in tow. Is this the part where I get all weak in the knees? Promise I'll never do it again?"  
"It's a little late for that, Doyle." Angel snapped.

"There's always time for redemption. Isn't that your whole thing?"

"You had your chance. I guess some people, they just never change."

Angel moved to backhand Lindsey, but Lindsey caught his hand. He punched Angel in the ribs before throwing him hard across the room. Buffy yelled her husband's name as he rolled across the floor into the opposite wall.

"I did."

"I thought you said he was human." Buffy said to Cordelia.  
"He _was_!" Cordy insisted.

"Look, you should go."

"No." Lindsey pointed at the door and it slammed shut. "Hang out. This won't take long."

"No, it won't." Buffy kicked Lindsey with all her strength. He flew across the room, slamming painfully into the wall.

"Got a little power in you, huh?" Lindsey got painfully to his feet as Angel moved to Buffy's side. "Never thought I'd get to fight a Slayer." He pulled his pocketknife out of his back pocket.

"You won't be fighting her." Angel growled.

"He won't?" Buffy asked.  
Angel took the sword from Buffy. "This is my fight."

"I really hate it when you do that."

"Hey, I gave you Caleb. You can give me this one."

Buffy sighed. "Fair enough. Cordy, let's let the menfolk have their fun while we shut this thing down."

"How do you plan to do that?" Cordelia asked, following Buffy up the stairs to the control panel.

"I have no idea."

"Start hitting buttons till something happens?"

"Sounds good to me."

Lindsey eyed the sword Angel was holding and then looked at his own knife. "Well, it's not the size that matters, big guy." His puny pocketknife turned into a large sword. "It's how you use it."

"So, go and get yourself a little mojo?" Angel taunted. "Should never have come back, Lindsey."

"What can I say? I missed you." Angel swung first and Lindsey blocked. He clearly wasn't as good as Angel, but he was holding his own.

"Let's try the blue one." Cordy muttered. She pressed the button and it shocked her. "Ow!" Buffy looked over at her. "Ok, not the blue one."

"Are you ok?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah." Cordy poked a few more buttons and looked at Buffy. "Are you really going to let him fight alone?"

The Slayer shrugged. "It's his fight. If he needs me, he knows I'll be here."

"I'm impressed."

"Why?"

"There was a time when you two would have a knock down drag out fight over who's fight it actually was."

Lindsey pinned Angel against a wall, but Angel pushed him away. They traded blows before Lindsey punched Angel and backflipped away, landing on his feet on top of the holding tank.

"Little something I picked up in Nepal." Lindsey gloated. "You like it?"

"They sell that crap at the airport." Angel easily leapt on top of the holding tank and attacked again.

Lindsey kicked Angel in the knee, causing Angel to scream in pain and recoil. Buffy flinched, but stayed in place. She flicked a few of the switches, but nothing happened.

"You know, all my carefully laid out plans, my designs," Lindsey said. "When you get right down to it, that was pretty sweet, too, huh? Reason enough for me to come back. You, me…. fight to the death… Yours."

"I've seen your tough act before, squirt." Angel got to his feet and resumed their fight. "First time we ever met, you put on a show. Huffing and puffing, telling me I couldn't lay a hand on your scumbag client."

"So you kicked him out a window."

"Good times."

"It was a defining moment. Kind of like this one."

The tank suddenly let out bursts of steam and they could see something very large moving around inside of it. "Oh, crap." Cordelia said.

"Eh." Buffy said, not fazed by the sight of the demon in the tank.

"Eh!? Are you crazy?"

"Cordy, I faced down a Hellmouth demon twice and then I went down into the Hellmouth and faced down a very, very, _very_ large horde of ancient vampires. That thing? It's 'eh'."

"You are way too nonchalant about this."

Buffy shrugged. "It's not like I _want_ to fight it, but I will if I have to and I'll know it's not the worst thing I've ever faced. Probably."

Angel punched Lindsey in the face, knocking him down. When the ex-lawyer stood up, his shirt was hanging open and his tattoos were on display. "That must have stung." The vampire quipped.

"Worse than when you cut off my hand."

Lindsey attacked again, restarting the fight. He managed to take Angel's sword, but Angel kicked Lindsey's sword into the air and leapt onto a balcony to catch it. Lindsey followed him to the balcony to continue the fight. Angel kicked Lindsey in the chest, moving him back a few feet. Lindsey lunged at Angel and managed to stab him through the heart with the sword. Cordelia screamed Angel's name just before Lindsey kicked Angel off the balcony and across the room. Angel landed on top on the holding tank with Lindsey jumping down to stand over him, his back to Buffy.

"Screw it." Buffy muttered.

Lindsey began to mock Angel, not hearing Buffy's approach. "Who is this? Who is this? I came to fight the vampire with a soul. Guess you shouldn't have sold it, huh? Look at you, from champion to pathetic corporate puppet in just a few months. You used to have fire in your heart. Now all you got in there is that big honkin sword. How's that feel, champ?"

Suddenly, Lindsey went flying, slamming into the wall below. "You lawyers talk too much." Buffy said. She helped Angel pull the sword out of his chest. "Also, little tip, Texas? If you're going to stab a vampire, it's more efficient if you use wood." Lindsey yanked his shirt off and leveled a glare at her. "Angel?"

"Tag, you're it." He gave her a grin and Buffy rolled up her sleeves.

"Yee-haw." Buffy jumped down to Lindsey's level and began to wail on the man. He was no match for her strength and agility and soon she had him pinned to the wall.

"Now you are gonna give it up." Cordelia said just before she yanked a crystal out of the control panel. The system made a powering down noise and the tank began to sink back underground. "Like that was so hard."

"No!" Lindsey screamed.

Angel appeared behind Buffy and slammed Lindsey's head into the wall. "All those tattoos, all those new tricks you've learned? They just don't matter. Doesn't matter what you try. Doesn't matter where I am or how badass you think you've become. Cause you know what? I'm Angel. I beat the bad guys." He looked at Buffy. "With my wife."

"You ok?" Buffy asked.

"I've been worse." He took her hand and smiled at her. "Did you have fun?"

"Oh yeah. Thanks for the tag in."

"So what now, huh?" Lindsey growled. "Think either of you got it in you to kill me?"

"I really don't think I have to." Angel said.

"Sweetie, your epidermis is showing." Cordelia said, joining Buffy and Angel.

Lindsey looked down at his tattoos as they floated up off of his skin and vanished. "Damn!" A flashing white light appearing above Lindsey and a whirlwind kicked up around him.

"I think the Senior Partners would like a word." Buffy said.

"You don't think they're angry, do you?" Lindsey asked with a nervous chuckle just before he was sucked up into the portal.

* * *

A pouting Eve walked onto the elevator with the entire gang standing behind her to make sure she left. Connor was smirking at Buffy's unhinged glee at getting rid of the woman who was a thorn in her side.

"It's really been a pleasure." Cordelia said. "Let's never keep in touch."  
"It's a new game, Eve." Angel said. "If I were you, I'd start thinking strategy."

"And here I am thinking revenge." Eve spat.

"And what do you imagine the Senior Partners are thinking?" Buffy asked as the elevator doors shut. "Well, now that we've taken out the garbage…."

"I'm thinking seabreeze, compadres." Lorne announced. "I gave up a lot of blood for this gig."

"And I didn't get any." Harmony pouted. "I kept begging Eve to run, but…."

"Well, I've been prancing around thinking I had a destiny." Spike said. "Love to drown my embarrassment in a few pints."

"We should all go get a drink." Fred said. "We haven't done that in…. Ever."

"I'm in." Gunn said. "Cat and Fiddle?"

"Yeah." Wesley looked over at Angel. "Unless, of course, you're busy packing."

Angel looked at Buffy with a smile. "A drink sounds good. I'll go get my coat."

"I need to go up and grab my purse." Buffy said.  
"Does that mean drinks are on you?" Gunn asked.  
"Yeah, I'll buy a round."

"Sweet!" Gunn high fived her as she and Angel headed for their office.

Angel followed her to their private elevator. "Don't be too long." He kissed her gently as the doors opened.

"I won't." Buffy smiled at him as the doors closed and she shook her head as it began to ascend. She headed into their bedroom to grab her purse out of their closet, but it wasn't there. She searched for it and finally found it under her side of the bed. When she came back out, Cordelia was standing by the elevator. "Hey!"

Cordelia smiled. "I don't have a lot of time. I needed to tell you something."

"Ok."

"Your destinies are intertwined. They always have been. Make sure he doesn't stray from the path, ok? You're his compass. Whatever happens next, be at his side, ok?"

"Always."

Cordelia nodded. "Good." She paused and then nodded, coming to a decision. "I love him, Buffy. I know I've never stacked up against you, but it didn't stop me from loving him."

"Cordy..."

"But I want you to... No, I need you to know that I'm so very happy you two can finally be together. He deserves all the happiness you bring him." Cordelia hugged Buffy tightly.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Cordelia squeezed her one more time and then stepped onto the elevator.

Buffy waited a moment to compose herself before calling the elevator back. She headed down to the office, hoping Angel and Cordy were waiting for her. The doors opened and Angel was the only one in the room. His back was to her, but he was on the phone.

"When did she die? Did she, um... she never did wake up?" He said. "I see." After a moment, he hung up and looked straight ahead. "Thank you."

"Angel?" Buffy asked, walking over to him.

He turned and pulled her tightly to him, holding her against him. And suddenly, Buffy knew. Cordelia was gone. It was why she had been so final in her words upstairs. Buffy held her husband tightly as they both began to cry.


End file.
